


Taming of the Bear

by Poeticallymanic



Category: Brave (2012)
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-28
Updated: 2014-04-28
Packaged: 2018-01-21 02:04:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 43,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1533605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poeticallymanic/pseuds/Poeticallymanic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stuck in his bear form for hundreds of years Mor'du has only one way to be freed and it all depends on a wild redhead. Takes place during and after movie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm moving my works over from Fanfic to Archive of Our Own, so this will be in here completed.

I do not own Brave. None of the Characters are mine.

Chapter 1: Freedom

"Hello! welcome to the crafty carver. I'm currently on holiday! If yed like to leave a message please pour in vial one! If yed like to make a special order please use vial 2! and if yer that power mongering prince I turned into a bear vial 3!"

The large bear quickly put his mouth around the bottle and poured it into the cauldron. The witches face popped up cheerfully and said, "Hello Prince Mordu! There was two things I forgot to tell you. To end your might form as a bear you must willing give up your rule and put together what you've destroyed. You must also repeat these words in … bear." She chuckled. He didn't find the humor. She cleared her throat and quoted, 'My Fate be changed, my right to rule I decline, I've mended the bonds to give you what is mine.' again, 'My fate be change, my right to rule I decline, I've mended the bonds to give you what is mine.' As long as this is done before the next day you'll return back to your form."

He growled, it had been two days already past, he was losing almost all his human thoughts, but before all hope was dead the witch piped in again, "However, not all is lost! If ye happen to not complete this task another way will presented to ye hundreds of years from now. A princess will be born of spiralling fire curls, she will be the oldest amongst three brothers and the wisp will lead her to you. She will set you free."

"Hundreds of years!" He said in bear mumble.

"Aye! hundreds!" Said the witch before disappearing back into the cauldron.

He wouldn't have any humanity left by then! He'd be a full fledged bear! How will she set him free? What did she need to do? He sighed pounding his big bear head into the ground. Why did he ever wish for the power of 10 men? Why was he so power hungry? Who was he to decide that he was so far superior amongst his brothers?

Hundreds of years later...

"Mor'du!" Screamed the red haired king with the power of 10 men thrashing a sword at Mor'du.

'Oh no. How did this all start.' Thought Mor'du slapping his paws at the sword.

He then remembered. A child came into the woods. He was awoke by her giggling, but then he was awoken by a glowing wil-o-the-wisp hovering in front of him. He didn't know why, but somewhere in his bear mind something was saying... this is important. She didn't see him, as he was hidden under the trees and leaves, but he saw her. She couldn't be missed with those red curls like …. fire. He sat up blinking. 'Spiralling fire curls...' The memory came back to him, but by the time it did, the girl was gone.

He quickly got up and went running after her scent. As he ran after her scent his bear mind took over convincing him that he was not chasing after a girl to give him his freedom, but was instead trailing the scent of prey. By the time he made it out of the woods ready to attack anything he saw the girl being taken on a horse with her mother and a giant of a man, with spiraling red curls, came hurling at him with a sword. It was fight or flight and as he fought back the bear part of him tooks it's full form.

He didn't remember much. He woke in the woods with a very sore, broken jaw, and in his mouth was a half eaten human leg. He quickly spit it out, ran his paw over his sore jaw, and then tried to remove the arrows from his hide. Realization slowly hit him. He had torn off the kings leg with one bite. 'Oh no.' He grumbled in bear. 'Why would this girl set him free now?'

12 years later...

Memories of the small princess were almost gone. He had lived without hope. He wasn't even sure what hope was anymore. Instincts left him living day to day, wake, eat, find water, find shelter, sleep and repeat. This was no man, but now a bear. A grumpy ravenous bear. That again changed when a whirlwind of spiraling fire came riding in on a horse in the woods.

His first thought was that of a bear, 'Who's in my woods?' He trailed after the scent of the horse. He came to a cliff at the top of the mountain and looked down. He heard her before he saw her. She cried out and she shot an arrow at a target hung from a tree branch. She was as wild as an animal. As wild as a bear.

Then there was the undeniable characteristic of that hair. The years hadn't settled it a bit. If anything the color only brighter and glowed almost unnaturally in the sun. His thoughts hadn't been present for many years, but something struck him watching this girl behave so freely…. freely… freedom. Then a glimpse of a memory came to him. She will bring me freedom, he thought watching the girl ride off.


	2. Memories

I do not own or profit from Brave

Chapter 2: Memories

Mor'du often found himself wandering up a cliff near the sea, over the slippery moss covered rocks, and to a place of stone ruins. He didn't know what pulled him there being a bear, but it felt familiar. He'd find himself falling asleep where the old stronghold had become concave and at the step below a throne. Something told him he needed to remember more about this place, but his bear state just told him the only meaning it had was that it was warm and dry.

As he lay there one morning, among the crumbling stones, he woke to a scent. He often smelled intruders before he saw them, but this was one of the scents he already knew. Like lavender and honey. It was the red haired lass. His initial plan was to spy on her from a hidden place, but then another scent hit him. It was another bear and instincts took over. His bear brain went wild thinking, bear, intruder, another bear hunting, another bear hunting prey on my cliff, prey. Humanity and reason no longer existed, but hunger did. He was now on the hunt for the girl as well as the bear.

He hid in the shadows, narrowed eyes waiting, ready to attack. The prey landed down in the ruins, she wondered around with curious eyes, and then she saw something. She saw something that froze her in place and caused her to gasp. She looked up through the hole between the rocks at the female bear.

"The legends! They're true!" She yelled up, but as she turned her head she saw him and she stumbled around with the smell of fear dripping off her.

Mor'du felt a twinge of doubt before his attack. It was there deep within his bear brain, but it didn't last long. He went charging at the girl who screamed and lept up a large stone and out the hole. Angered by his runaway meal the bear stocked around the ruins, growling and snorting. This would have continued for hours, but he came across the stone the girl gasped at. He stared down at it blinking. It had four men carved into it. He felt his mind going from rage to searching. He wasn't sure what it was searching for, but something about the three men being seperate from the fourth. All this excitement and thinking sucked the energy out of his big bear body and he decided to lay down.

Dreams hadn't been a part of Mor'du's life for many years, at least not meaningful ones. Sometimes he'd dream about a fish swimming away from him as he tried to catch it, but dreams about his human life… he couldn't even remember having any. Then, like a clarity of light, his memories came flooding back to him in dream form.

In his dream he looked upon his youngest brother, Edus. He was a plump young man of about 20. He hadn't been in battle as much as his brothers, but he was better at battle strategy as well as obtaining information. Edus paced about a room till he saw Mor'du enter the stronghold. "Where's father?" Mor'du asked.

Edus looked worried, but tried to maintain a brave face. "He's in the throne room. He'd would like to speak to all of us."

Mor'du followed Edus into the throne room where King Drest sat weakly upon a throne. Mor'du had been battling the Britons for some years and hadn't seen his father in that time. He was much changed. Not like the mighty king that had fought the Britons time and time again to maintain the freedom of his people. He was now frail, his black hair was now white and his skin had an ill pigment to it. Mor'du had never handled life with the best of tempers and for unknown reasons anger filled his soul seeing his father this way.

Ferath, his second to youngest brother, sat at his father's feet, clinging to their father's hand, and staring up at him with teary eyes. Mor'du couldn't see that his brother was truly worried about his father. Instead he saw these actions as being sly and as a false concern to gain favor which only heightening his rage. He looked around the room for Eogan and found him staring out the window with a heavy sigh leaving his lungs. Out of all his brother Eogan, the second oldest to him, was probably the closest to him. Like Mor'du he craved justice and Mor'du knew he could always count on him to ride into battle at his side.

"Brother." Eogan said leaving the window and grabbing Mor'du's broad shoulders. "Thank ye for coming. I'm glad the messenger reached ye in time."

"Why have ye sent for me?" He asked grabbing Eogan's much more narrow shoulders.

"I sent for ye." King Drest interrupted with a raspy weak voice

Mor'du approached his father and bowed before him. "Father. How may I serve ye?"

"I need all of ye to come near." Drest summoned with a weak hand. His sons stood before him. "I am dyin and I have but one wish."

"No father. Ye will heal soon enough." Ferath pleaded.

"No my son. I'm afraid with in a short time I will no longer be able to hold onto what strength I have left in me and my only wish is that my four sons rule these lands together for ye are stronger together than apart."

"Rule together?" Mor'du asked confused. He was after all the oldest. He did spend his youth battling the Britons to keep them away from the borders. He was the strongest of them!

"Aye son. I know that ye were thinkin all this time that ye would be the sole ruler, but we need to break tradition in order to keep these lands free from the Britons."

Mor'du turned his head in anger and huffed. "Why don't they serve under me as advisers?"

"Ye will rule together or none of ye shall rule at all." King Drest said firmly.

"Brother." Ferath whined. "Why cana ye just accept this? It's not for us. It's for father."

Mor'du narrowed his eyes at Ferath. "Accept this, so that yell find a way to make a treaty. Ye probably didna think I ken bout it."

"What lies are these?" Edus ask insulted that Mor'du would ever think Ferath capable of such a thing. "I know all that goes on amongst us. Ferath would never do anything of the sort."

"We captured a soldier and he said one of ye had tried to make a treaty with his king." Mor'du explained.

"That was me." Drest cut in.

He turned his attentions back to his father with his mouth hanging wide open. "But … why father?" Mor'du asked shocked.

"Because we canna fight them forever Mor'du. These lands need peace." He began to explain.

Mor'du snarled. "Treaties don't bring peace. They bring enslavement!"

"I agree to a point," Eogan interrupted trying to mediate the situation as usual, "But I think if we came up with a treaty we all agreed on maybe we could find a way for the Britons to have some of the land and our people keep their freedom. We might make some profit from it as well."

"How can ye say such thing Eogan? Ye fought next to me. Ye saw how barbaric they are. It wouldna work." Mor'du felt lost for hope now that even Eogan was speaking against him.

"I have a way that we can back them into a corner Mor'du." Edus began to explain. "If ye'd just sit down!"

"No." Mor'du growled. "If this happens I'll gather the soldiers loyal to me and lead our people."

"Brother.. this is insane!" Ferath gasped.

"No. Yer all insane." With that Mor'du left the group of men and stomped his way out of the stronghold.

His memory cut off after that and a new one began to form. He stood in a circle of stones, tired from battle, a battle of four sides commanded not by the Britons, but by each of his brother. Like a mad man he circled around the stones shouting, "Give me the strength to beat them! Give me my throne!" A pulse seemed to emit from the stones knocking him to his back. He sat up angrier than ever, but before he could act on that anger a little ball of blue light popped in front of him. He stared at it rubbing his eyes believing it was a side effect from his fall, but then another one appeared behind it.

He stood and followed these lights, one appearing after the other, through the trees, past the springs and loch. He followed it up the slippery rocks and found himself standing in front of a stone hut. He walked in and found an old woman standing over a cauldron humming to herself, a crow perched on her shoulder.

"Who are ye?" He asked walking in.

She jumped back from the cauldron frightened and though her hands were no longer on the handle of the spoon it still stirred. His eyes went wide as he stared at the spoon moving on its own and then his eyes flashed back to the old woman in disbelief. She stared back with even wider eyes. He'd heard tales of these wild women with old magic, but he'd never believed them to be true.

"Yer a witch." He stated taking a step back.

"No I'm a cook. Just a cook." She said laughing awkwardly and grabbing the handle of the spoon.

"If you're a cook then I'm a chicken." Piped the crow.

"Ye'll be cooked like a chicken if ye don't pipe down ye ugly bird." She said smacking the bird on the head with a spoon.

Mor'du looked at her not in the least convinced that she was a cook and now his mouth gaped open from amazement that he'd just heard the bird having a conversation with this old woman. Mor'du cleared his throat and peered into the cauldron. "If that is soup then why not make me a bowl?"

"Not ready yet!" She chimed with a forced smile.

"I've never seen soup glow green before. That's not soup and yer not a cook." He smirked crossing his arms.

She gave a sigh of defeat and rolled her eyes looking at the bird on her shoulder. "This is yer fault. I told ye that I needed to switch the doors, so the outside world wouldna see us, but ye insisted no one ever came out this far in the woods. Why am I listening to a bird anyways."

"Because you're mad… mad… MAD!" It sang back to her and before she would let it sing further the spoon again met it's head.

"So lad, what brought ye here?" She asked.

"I saw these wee blue lights, one after another makin a path.."

"Wil-o-the-wisp. Damned nuisance! Always bringin these uninvited visitors." She grumbled.

"This ones a looker." Said the crow.

She laughed. "Aye, so he is, so what can we do for ye Prince?"

"How… how did ye know?"

"I'm a witch remember. Maybe a looker, but not the most intelligent." She whispered the last part to the bird on her shoulder and they both snickered.

Mor'du crossed his arms hearing the obvious whisper and brought his concern back to focus. "So… if yer a witch then ye can help me."

"Maybe." She smiled, but there was something wicked in her eyes.

"As ye can see I just came out of battle. I'm tryin to win back my right to the crown, but my brother have turned on me. They don't trust me to be their sole ruler and if I could only show them I'm beyond this human form, that I'm meant to be king, that … I have more power than them... more power than 10 men, then maybe they'll give up this stupid war. Maybe then this will all end."

"More power than 10 men hmm?" She cackled.

"Aye."

"I can make that happen." She smirked. "But what will ye give me in return."

"I have nothin on me… but this ring." He said touching the ring with his family signet.

"That will do." She sang grabbing the ring.

With a whirl and whoosh she pulled one vial of purple this and blue that into the cauldron and with a little incantation the cauldron bubbled, fizzed and then poof! It was ready. She pulled out a horn flask and poured the strange blue liquid in. She was ready to place it in his hand, but pulled back having one last thought.

"Now prince, this will give ye the powers ye wish to possess, but there is another way to gain what ye need without this spell. I advise that ye talk thing over with yer brother. Step outside yer perspective. See their side and work through it."

He scoffed. "Never."

"That is up to ye, but if ye take this potion ye must go through with yer initial desire to rule." She said leading him outside with the horn flask still in her hand. She handed it to him with a little hesitation, but then shrugged allowing fate to take over. "Best of luck dear." She gave him a smack on the back end as he turned. He jumped, but walked ahead ready to take the potion in front of his brothers and show them just what sort of king he could be.

That memory disappeared and another began to form. This one was unlike the others. It seemed rather choppy. First he remember sitting in front of his brothers on his fathers throne. He'd called them there on false pretenses of a treaty. Then he remembers arguing. He told them he'd gained powers beyond their understand and that the gods intended him to be king. He lifted the flask gulping down. Next he remembers lifting his axes and crashing them down on the stone their father had carved of all four of them. The fourth figure smashed away from the rest and he felt something taking over. Something flamed in his stomach and then traveled over his body like his blood had been replaced with iron. The pain seared his skin like fire and then slowly his memory started to morph. He heard pleas … ripping of flesh… blood… screams… stones falling… running … running … running and then crash!

He woke with a growl and sniffed around. A loose stone had fallen on his head. He went to touch his head and saw that he still had these bear paws. He still had these bear teeth and bear body. He was a bear, but now …. oh no, now his humanity was alive in his mind again. All the pain, the guilt and regret. How did this happen he wondered pacing, huffing and puffing. He hadn't thought about any of this until that girl. It was her fault. She must have been a witch and if she was she truly could set him free as the first witch prophesied. He'd find her again and force her to set him free.


	3. Changes

Again I don't own brave or the characters. I just think Merida deserved a little love.

Chapter 3. Changes

When Mor'du caught Merida's scent again a rage fueled his bear side. He walked up a rock to get a better view of where it was coming from. The sun was setting, but it still provided enough light for him to see through the woods. She swiftly rode past him on her horse and he followed. She was riding towards the stone circle. Up ahead he heard a commotion and quickly approached.

There in the stone circle stood about 20 men holding down the other bear. The girl put herself between the King, whom Mor'du quickly remember attacking years prior, and the bear. Then three little bears came running toward the King and a realization washed over his face. Mor'du almost forgot why he was standing there when a thought came to mind. He wondered if the girl had put a curse on the female bear and the three little ones. He thought she must have possessed the same powers as the witch and he said to himself, "That's why I came. To make her free me."

He began to approach her when the group of men began to attack. He easily pushed them back in one swipe. Then the King attack and again it took little effort for him to move past him. He had a goal in mind… somewhere, he was beginning to forget again, but he knew he had to get near the girl. Any sense he had left was soon shook out of him when he felt spikes to his back. He whirled around to see arrows sticking out of his back and then looked down to see the girl standing there, brave, but still full of fear, holding a bow.

Mor'du charged at her and pounced on top of her as she fell back. She trembled in fear under him and as her scent filled his nose he found himself unable to bite into her. Before reason could take over again the other bear charged at him and fought him with determination. They struggled for awhile until he pushed the other bear up against a rock and it seemed to give up for a moment. Just as he was ready to attack the girl again he saw a shadow appear around him and as he looked up he saw a stone falling.

Life went black and he felt himself finally feeling at rest. Just when he thought that he was being set free something changed. It was as though his bear skin became a blanket, his flesh was no longer his flesh and he felt himself rising. He opened his eyes and looked down to see he was again human or so he thought. He looked at his hands which were glowing blue and iridescent and when he gazed at the rest of his body it also seemed to look the same. Then there was a feeling. As peaceful as it was it didn't feel … alive. He knew then that he was a spirit, but as this realization hit him another one hit him as well. The group of people were staring at him. Most importantly the redhaired lass was staring at him with large shocked aqua eyes.

This form not only provided him freedom from his animal form, but also gave him the ability of absolute clarity. He now saw that this girl wasn't a witch. She was the king's daughter, a princess. Not just any princess, but one with a heart to match his own. Brave and fearless. Mor'du heard the calling of the wisp behind him and gave a bow of appreciation to the Princess for freeing him of his bear form before following them on.

He watched from the trees as the girl wrapped a blanket around the other bear and began to sew a rip. 'Mend the bond,' He thought to himself, 'Of course, it makes sense.' The sun moved up from the horizon and as it did the bear slowly turned into a woman. Not just any woman, but the queen. He watched the happy family reunion as the princess, the king, and the now three little naked boys threw their arms around the queen. He smiled, but again the wisp seemed to wordless tell him that he could no longer be part of human interaction and he needed to hide deep in the woods.

Before turning to leave the scene he took one last look at the girl. He didn't really know her and he was sure her opinion of him wasn't the best knowing his history and all her experiences with his bear form, but he found himself bound to her. He'd never felt anything like it before. He wanted to stand by her side, caress her little hand with his large one, and protect her from harm. He vowed to himself he'd find a way to do that one day.

Time as a willo-the-wisp went by incredibly fast. Weeks went by like minutes and he found a year had gone by. Most of his moments were spent maintaining the forest with the rest of the wisp. There were unspoken task that he found himself following like leading a deer to water, keeping lochs from flooding lands, helping the fish find their way through the water for spawning, keeping sheep from falling off cliffs, helping pollen find its way to new buds and so on. The balance of nature depended on the assistance of wisp and Mor'du found himself distracted and amazed with this new knowledge.

Then one day he blew by a window of a castle and found the princess sitting at it, staring out, wondering. It had been a year since he saw her and already in that time she had grown more beautiful. He made himself invisible as he floated by the window and reached his hand out to touch her face. She jumped back feeling a caress on her cheek and touched her hand to her face with her mouth opened. She looked around seeing nothing there, but she was sure she felt more than just the wind.

"Hello?" She called out feeling a bit foolish, but nothing answered back.

Mor'du dashed off after her reaction, but found himself more determined than ever to find a way to be with her. Her skin was like velvet, her eyes sparkled like the North Sea and he wanted to feel her red curls curtain over his face as he kissed her. She was more beautiful than any lass he'd seen in his long life time and her spirit was adventurous. He needed to find that witch.

For days he searched the woods till the other wisp caught onto what he was looking for. They lead him to the witches hut where he floated through the walls and took form as a human spirit. The witch was carving a bear out of wood and he watched holding back his laughter till it grew so strongly in his chest that he burst into a complete mirth.

The witch screamed jumping from her chair and turned around scowling. "Ye should know better than to sneak up on an old woman like that."

"I'm not sneakin up on an old woman. I'm sneakin up on a witch." He corrected.

"So prince, I see yer no longer a bear. I see yer fate crossed with a certain redhaired lass?" She questioned.

"Aye, but I still find myself wondering around in this form. Tis not the freedom I was expectin. I was thinkin more along the lines of a second chance in my live form." He said pacing about.

"That wasna part of the agreement dear prince." The witch said taking her original seat. "Besides I'm not a witch anymore. I'm a wood carver."

"Aye. I see I've been a bit of an inspiration to ye." He said looking at all the bear carvings.

She gave a short laugh, "Well I had to find a theme and after ye ate the lairds leg I've been having a hard time keepin up with it all. Yev made bears vary popular."

"I suppose I deserve some sort of commision for it." He said pausing in front of her.

"and what use would that be to ye?" She asked with a huff.

"Yer right. That wouldna do me any good, but …" He placed his hand on his chin thoughtfully, "I suppose ye could give me a spell. One that would turn me into a human again."

"I canna turn the dead back into the living. It's not possible." She said still focusing on her carving.

"Then who can?"

She sighed and smiled up at him. "Yer learnin prince, askin the right questions." She tapped her fingers on the table and stood looking around. "Where's my book of spells!" She yelled out.

"Here." Cawed the crow flying it towards her, but rather than slowly placing it on the table it dropped the book right on her head.

"Ye stupid bird!" She yelled making the broom hit the crow as it tried to scramble away after it's mistake. She grumbled and opened up the book finding a page towards the end. "Here it tis. There is only one thing that will bring the dead back to life and that's true loves kiss. I've only heard of it working once. Some stupid princess in a far off kingdom touched her finger to a cursed spindle, but another witch made it possible for her to wake with true loves kiss." She chuckled to herself about it for a moment. "Not sure if it will work on the non-living in spirit form, but tis our only option. What do ye say prince."

"Will it turn me into a bear?" He asked cynically.

"Of course it won't turn ye into a bear." She said crossing her arms offended.

"It better not or I will haunt ye for eternity." He warned quite seriously.

"I promise ye the only other form ye'll be able to have is a human one."

He paused thinking it over and as Merida's face filled his mind he shook his head. "Let's give it a go."

"Alright prince. Ye'll have to hold still for this one." She said pulling out a wand.

Meanwhile back at castle DunBroch….

"Merida. I haven't seen ye all day. Are ye alright?" Elinor asked.

"I'm fine mum. Just been wondering about things lately."

"What sort of things?"

Merida twiddled her fingers while laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. "I'm wonderin if I'll ever find a man that I'll love."

"Changed yer mind about all the love nonsense then?" Elinor teased.

"No… maybe… oh I don't know anymore." Merida said tossing her head into her pillow.

"Is there a certain lad that made ye think twice?" Elinor asked sitting next to her daughter and brushing her curls with her fingers.

"No. Not yet. I've just been wonderin what that certain lad will be like and what he'll look like. I don't find the young men very attractive around here. Nor did I find the suitors all that braw." She mumbled.

"Well, what do ye find attractive?" Elinor questioned trying to help her daughter through her frustration.

"I suppose someone who's a warrior, strong and brave. They'd have to be. It would be hard for me to be with someone weaker than my da."

Elinor huffed. "Yer goin to have a hard time findin someone stronger that yer da Merida. He's not a small man by all means."

"Aye. That's true."

"What about that young MacGuffin? He's a nice sized lad?" Elinor offered.

Merida snorted. "Aye, but I'll never understand a thing he says."

Elinor couldn't help, but laugh along with her. "Vary true."

"Besides I think I'd like a man with dark hair."

"Like young Macintosh?"

Merida scrunched up her face. "No. I couldna get past his ego."

"Or his nose." Elinor added.

Merida laughed. "and nothing like wee Dingwall."

"Oh I can't blame ye there." Elinor laughed.

Merida sighed going back to her previous thoughts. "I've jest been feelin things lately. A longing, but just not for anyone in particular."

"I remember feelin that at yer age. Ye know I wasna very attracted to yer father at first, but after marryin him I found out there was more to a man that just how attractive he was. Trust me, that longing yer feelin is only going to grow, but someday ye'll find a way of ummm… easing it." Elinor tried to explain delicately.

"Hmmm?" Merida questioned confused.

"In a way that make babies." Elinor furthered.

"GAH!" Merida said sitting up shooting a disgusted look at her mother. "Really mum. Don't tell me anymore."

"Ye have to know someday Merida." Elinor explained.

"I know how babies are made mum." Merida said with her face still scrunched up. "Please. Let's not talk about it anymore."

"Well… if ye have any questions please feel free to ask." Elinor said awkwardly getting up and walking towards the door.

"Hey mum."

"Hm?"

"I'm glad yer more open with me lately even on things I don't really want to hear. Thank ye for that." Merida said with appreciation in her tone.

"Yer welcome." Elinor smiled leaving Merida's room.

Merida laid there for a moment trying to get past the fact that her mother was getting ready to explain the birds and bees to her. It made her feel sick thinking that her parents had to do THAT to create her and her brothers, but she always thought of it as being something unpleasant for females. At least it looked that way when Angus bred with the farm mare, but her mother said it was relieving. That put new ponderings into her head and she began wondering what it would feel like with a man of her taste.

She closed her eyes and saw a man formed in her imagination. He would be tall, with thick shoulders and strong arms that could wrap around her. He'd kiss her lips and her neck and maybe her collar bone. His fingers would caress down her side and over her belly. As her imagination went beyond that a shiver ran down her spine and quickly woke her from her self induced spell.

"What was that." She muttered to herself.

"Ye comin down." One of her brother's yelled from outside.

"Umm… aye. I'll be down soon." Merida said nervously grabbing her bow to give her brother's some archery lessons. She needed some distractions. All these feelings she was having lately made her feel a prisoner to her own body.


	4. Feelings

I do not own or profit from Brave

Chapter 4. Feelings

16 was a chaotic age for Merida. Life had been rather eventful, following wisp, meeting witches, turning her mother into a bear, watching Mor'du being crushed by a stone, her mother returning back to her human form. Needless to say she was exhausted and there was plenty to talk about among the castle and kingdoms. For about a year all she could do was retell the story over and over until she became quite sick of it.

Then 17 came and it was a time of bonding. Her mother who had been very busy with triplet boys found that they were at an age where their father started taking them out on more manly expeditions such as hunting and visiting the other clans. Though Merida found herself wanting to sneak along with them she knew it would be the perfect time to catch up with her mother.

Her mother, who had more than changed since her time as a bear, seemed almost reborn. It was as though she had gained a second youth and Merida often found herself being woken by her mother's crazy antics. It was horse rides in the morning, archery at noon, and drinks in the evening. There were times that she even felt tired out from her mother's new formed energy.

By the time her 18th birthday came around she found life quieted. Almost deafening so. She laid in bed a week after turning 18 realizing it had been 6 months since someone asked her about the story of her mother as a bear. It had been weeks since her brothers dragged her out of bed to play some ridiculous game that ended with her sneaking sweets for them. It had been 3 months since she and her father had done any falconry and lastly her mother had been surprisingly quiet these last few days.

She made her way down the castle stairs to find her family sitting at the table. Her brother's were sighing as their father told them of his battles during the rebellion against King Henry II of England. Her brother's, bored, hearing the story for the 100th time seemed more interested in playing with their food. Elinor sat with her palm to her head as though she was at the end of her patience. Merida approached cautiously.

"Merida!" Her mother croaked sitting up as though she was startled out of sleep.

"Hello." Merida said grabbing some bread of the table to eat.

"Ye don't eat as well as ye use to. Why not have some of the black pudding." Her mother pointed out to a plate on the table.

Merida almost vomited at the thought. "No. I'm alright mum."

"So…" Elinor beamed, "I'm glad yer here. I have somethin vary important to tell ye." She looked at Fergus who just gave her a little encouraging smile. "I'm pregnant."

All three of Merida's brother's spit out whatever they had in their mouths and Merida just stared at her mother in disgust. "Ye canna be serious!" Merida squeaked.

"Aye. I am. Tisn't wonderful!" Elinor smiled.

"No. It tisn't!" Harris spit out.

"Yer too old." Hubert added.

"Well I think it's wonderful. Maybe will have another princess in the house." Elinor beamed.

"Aye." Merida laughed nervously. "Wouldn't that be great."

"We shall see come March." Fergus smiled. Elinor simply beamed and went back to her eating. Merida quickly did the math. That meant her mother was already two or three months along. She couldn't believe it. All that extra energy her mother had obviously was being contributed to her father as well. The thought made her gag.

With that the conversation was over and they all sat quietly and awkwardly for the rest of the meal. Her brother's ate their food at a record rate and went running off as quickly as possible. Merida couldn't find the stomach to even force the food down her throat. For whatever reason she found the whole thought of having a baby as unsettling.

Merida went to her room to play her harp and try to think about anything else than her parents producing another child. "and at their age!" She huffed plucking the string aggressively. Then she thought of the fact that the kingdom would soon want her to marry and with marriage came babies. "Oh God." She whispered to herself coming to the realization that she could potentially have a child close in age to her new sibling. "Fine. I'll just never get married then." She said with indignation.

Being in the castle was just upsetting her. She looked outside. It was a beautiful day. The skies were blue and it looked inviting. It was near the end of summer and little warmth was left in the highlands. Then the perfect idea popped into her head. Something she could do that would truly clear her mind.

A nice spring bath sounded brilliant and there was such a place she frequented once a year just remote enough to do so without being caught. She found her way to Angus and quickly rode off feeling herself again. She hadn't rode the poor horse in such a long time that even Angus trotted with joy as they left the castle.

Everything smelled so sweet from hay and clover being cut. The mountains were covered in heather and the sun felt so warm. She let her arms lift from the reins for a moment so that she could feel the winds surround her. In that moment she couldn't be happier.

She heard the springs before she saw them and she could see that the spring was trickling down from the mountains just enough to provide the perfect shower. She cautiously rode around making sure she was indeed alone and found the place quiet aside from the birds in the trees. She jumped off Angus and took one last look around before stripping down.

Merida wasn't a 'ease into things' sort of girl. She quickly dived into the cool waters till she came to the source of the springs where the waters bubbled warmly from the mountains. It felt like heaven and she realized this was what she was missing. Nature gave her more sensations than any man could offer.

Meanwhile… Mor'du's left the witches cottage a few days prior feeling somewhat strange. He still felt like a wisp, but he felt an urge that he couldn't quite explain. It was as though a quest had been laid out before him and now he had to fulfill it or the world would fall into chaos. Though he didn't look anymore human he felt needs he didn't believe were possible in his wisp form.

The thoughts of the princess played more and more in his mind making time go by much more slowly than it had in years. He found himself day dreaming of rolling around in the grasses with her, pulling her slender form ontop of him, kissing her rosy lips, pulling off her dress and feeling her velvety flesh on his rougher form. He smiled to himself, laying in the grass, with his eyes closed and in that moment he almost felt alive again. Just when his dreams began to grow a little more devious he felt a presence just outside the trees. Usually when he sensed a human presence a need to hide usually filled him, but this time he felt drawn to it. He stood slowly walking to the forest edge.

As he approached the clearing he heard something humming, a female voice. He floated through the trees and came through the clearing looking around. She wasn't hard to spot. Her hair was like wildfire, but this time it wasn't against the green of her dress, but the peach color of her flesh. His initial reaction was that of shock and he began to wonder if he was still day dreaming. Once he moved closer and heard her singing a little more clearly he soon realized it was truly her. The shock wore off and he found he was completely mad with lust.

Though her changes were settle it was obvious she was at the peak of her maturity. There wasn't any childishness left in her and as she wiggled her bare bottom to whatever she was humming all Mor'du knew that he wanted to touch her. He wanted to start at her hair and pull it to the side over her shoulders. He then wanted to trail kisses on her neck and down her back while his hands ran over her slender waist and rounded hips which seemed somewhat more rounded than the last time he saw her.

He finally had enough when she turned around exposing her joyous face as the water trickled down. Her lips moved singing, "Gorm shuilean ciùin san Dùn a' sileadhOn thriall thu uainn 's nach till thu tuille." The words haunted him and drew him closer. Her hands raised up twisting above her in the water falls the trickled down slowly from the mountains. It ran over her full cheek bones which seemed more pronounced being that she lost some of her childish roundness to her face. He followed the water as it trickled down her pierced lips, pointed chin, long neck and to her perfectly blossomed bosom. Evidence of her wild ways ran down the contours of her firm stomach and down to the dark red curls that hid her womanhood.

He found himself calf deep in water and realized he'd been walking toward her. He quickly put an invisibility over his presence and continued walking toward her. Merida was unaware of her onlooker. The falls had muted the sounds that surrounded her and her singing only assisted in cutting out the treading of water that she may have heard in the distance had she paid attention. She remained unaware, but as she looked down she noticed the water rippled. She looked around and saw nothing assuming it was just a fish in the water. She closed her eyes and continued to sing.

As she just started to grow comfortable enough to continue her song loudly she felt something that cut her off. She could have sworn she felt something brush through her hair, but as she turned around she saw nothing. She looked around suspiciously before returning back to her bath. She didn't sing this time, but she did close her eyes to place her head back into the trickle of the falls. As she did so a feeling of a large hand ran over the narrowed side of her waist. Instead of frightening her she found herself feeling something quite different. She enjoyed the caress that seemed somewhat familiar. A tightness formed below her belly button and ran down between her legs.

She opened her eyes stepping out of the falls and still saw nothing, but she felt a breath on her neck. She found herself panting as the breath panted on her neck. It wasn't a nervous pant. It was something completely different than she'd ever experienced. Then the invisible hand traveled toward her front, up her abdomen and to her breast. A sound broke from her throat that she had never heard before. A moan, but not from pain. She felt as though she were going to double over from something else.

Mor'du felt crazed. He wanted the girl so badly. She was so vulnerable and ready, but he couldn't take advantage of her like that. As he pulled his hands away he stepped only far enough away to watch her reaction. Her panting ceased and he watched as her face went from dazed, to confusion to frustration. "Ye canna just leave… please show yer self." She begged.

He didn't know how she'd react to seeing that the man touching her in such ways was no other than the spirit of the bear she had brought down. Instead of showing himself he decided to just answer her and see where that lead. "I canna just yet." His deep resonating voice responded.

She felt foolish as she gasped more so from the sound of his voice than the fact that it was coming out of no where. She stepped towards the sound and she found herself wondering if her father's family madness had finally shown itself through her, but then she saw the water mysteriously ripple out of no where. "Why won't ye?" She questioned further.

She heard an audible sigh. "I want to." He answered back. "But ye won't want me to."

"What do ye mean?" She questioned further, but there was no response.

With a heavy heart and a body full of newly discovered feelings she didn't quite understand she stomped out the water. She quickly found her dress and shook off her body before putting it on. She looked once more onto the waters before jumping up on Angus and riding off.

Mor'du watched this scene and hated to see her so upset. It wasn't the anger in her stomp or the way she shoved on her dress, but the look of sadness and doubt in her eyes that almost made him forget why he hadn't shown himself. "Please forgive me lass." He whispered before returning back to the woods.

This wasn't going to be an easy task. He hadn't thought about her reaction to seeing him before he went to the witch. He wondered if she could love him. He did, after all, kill his family, eat her father's foot, attack her and battled her mother. Doubt filled him and he began to wonder if pursuing her was hopeless, but not pursing her didn't seem like an option either. Though he barely knew her he loved her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: So few things. The song that Merida is singing is Macrimmon's Lament. It's from the 18th century, but if I had her singing traditional songs from the 12th century then she'd be singing gregorian chants. Not exactly romantic, so the lyrics translate to 'Blue, gentle eyes in the Castle are weeping  
> Since you departed and will never return.' How perfect is that. On a side note, I don't own Macrimmon's Lament. On another note which I'll get more into later I'm imagining Mor'du in his human/spirit form to be at about 28 and I'll be altering the description of his appearance a bit to something a little more braw, handsome. Also, Scotland is cold! I must be crazy to have Merida out bathing in the springs. I was there in July and I certainly wouldn't have.


	5. Desires

Chapter 5. Desires

Weeks went by and time did not heal Merida's thoughts. She found herself more than confused. Her logic tried to convince her that what had happened wasn't possible and that what she felt was reaction to her anxiety. Her body told her differently. Now that she had a taste of large hands on her, in places she'd never dreamed letting a man touch before, that's all she ever seemed to think about.

Nights went by where she found herself closing her eyes imagining those hands moving up her, starting from her ankles, under her chemise, to her thighs and to places she'd never even ventured herself. Usually this left her wiggling around in bed unsettled. She tried to imagine this unknown stranger, but she had nothing to go off of other than the fact that he had large hands, large enough for one hand to circle half her waist and though she was toned she wasn't exactly the daintiest of maidens. She looked down at her waist where her flesh still felt the heat of that touch and imagined that hand. Then she imagined what the arm of that hand would look like, the broad shoulders, the firm pecs, the contours of muscles that ran down his torso and that oh so resonating deep voice. She shook all over.

"I need to end this torture and sleep." She said turning over in bed, but sleep wouldn't come. That longing seemed to supply some sort of crazed energy and then there was the moon and stars working against her as well. She got up placing on her cloak for warmth and walked around the room trying to settle her nerves, but the moon called to her.

She walked to her window looking out at the harvest moon shining down on autumn trees the covered the rolling mountains. The colors of golds, reds and oranges contrasted to the blackness of the sky making images form in her mind of her own autumn colored hair mixed with that of dark silken tresses. "Wouldna that be ideal." She smiled to herself now imagining her ghost having a certain rugged darkness.

She sat there at her window wondering if she would again feel a hand on her face like she did almost three years prior. It would soon be her 19th birthday and it would almost be expected that she would have to marry soon, but how could she when she was in love with something that didn't exist. Minutes went by and the brush to her cheek never came. A mischievous grin stretched across her face and she quietly snuck out of her room.

It was very late and not a sound was made throughout the castle. She could only hope that she was quiet enough not to set off the alarms, her father's wolfhounds. She quickly made her way down the stairs, slipped past the sleeping guards, tip toed to the stables and found angus. She swiftly jumped on his back and had him slowly trot around the castle until she gained a safe distance to increase his trot. As soon as they were far enough away she gave Angus a little nudge with her heels and they took off through the woods.

It wasn't a normal night. The moon and stars provided little beams of light here and there on the open path, but then she took a turn into the tree. The thickness of the tall trees began masking the night lights and she slowed Angus's steps. Despite this she knew where she was going. She'd could ride through these lands blind and it didn't take her long to find the bottom of the mountain she was looking for. She slid off Angus, tied him up to a tree limb and made her way up the mountain.

Meanwhile…

Mor'du was torturing himself day after day. His mind was now obsessed with the thought of her and as his time became more devoured by his fantasy, the less he started to feel like a wisp. The other wilo-the-wisp voices seemed to grow quieter lately and he started seeing less and less of them. Time seemed to be slowing down drastically and he found he could no longer ball himself up into wisp form, but could only take on a human spirit form. He was just happy he still had the ability to make himself invisible. Infact being invisible was easier than forming any solidarity. He supposed it was because he was still a ghost despite the recent changes.

Most days he would spend laying on a blanket of grass and moss on the forest floor, his eyes closed, imagining his lass. She had grown into something magical. Her eyes seemed more vivid, her breast full and perked, her hair more lush, her lips so pink, and the contrast from her waist to her hips was so apparent. She was at the age nature designed for women to be more alluring to draw in a mate and that fact scared him. He knew it wasn't fair to wish her lonely, but the thought of another man touching her made him feel that raging anger he thought he lost when he took his spirit form.

He got up to pace about trying to release his tension. This was not who he was now. He was changed, more peaceful, but his clinched fist said differently. Had he been human his nails would have brought out blood from his palms. He took a deep breath and looked up at the moon. It seemed to break his cross tormented thoughts. It was so large and gold that it outshined the stars and hypnotised him. His daze soon broke when he heard the large crackle of branches deep in the forest. He sat up and snuck his way through the trees to find out what it was.

He came to where the forest split off into mountains and found a horse tied up to the trees. He almost untied it to free it when he paused taking a good look at it. It wasn't just any horse. It was the Princess's horse. He looked around frantically not seeing her. The forest wasn't the safest places to be at night for a young woman. Bandit's roamed the woods often and he knew he needed to find her.

Merida sat at the top of the mountain growing cold, but it didn't seem to matter. It helped distract her mind from her thoughts and it gave her a perfect view of the forest below that was lit up by the moon. She smiled to herself, bringing her knees up to her chin for more warmth and gazed at what nature had to offer. As much as she struggled against it, deep within her mind, she wished she wasn't alone. She wished her admirer was seated next to her, cuddling her close to him.

Little did she know Mor'du had found her and was actually seated to her left. He remained invisible, but his face was only inches away from her own. Though he didn't have to breath he found that he did so unconsciously without thinking. It was as though he was slowly becoming human again since the witches spell and as he leaned in to smell her hair he let out a warm breath.

Merida reacted instantly turning her head quickly to the direction of the breath. She lifted her hand and swiped it so quickly in his direction he barely dodged it. She continued to stare with large eyes for several minutes before she took a deep breath and sadly placed her chin back on her knees. That wouldn't do, he thought to himself. He couldn't continue staring at her with her eyes so sad and her bottom lip pushed out in a pout.

"Tis a bit cold to be sittin here all alone." He finally said.

She jumped away from the direction of his voice. "Is it… is it ye?"

"Aye." He simply responded.

Her mouth hung open and she simply stared at nothingness. "Am I goin mad?"

"No. I'm here. Yer just not able to see me." He responded gently running his fingers up her arms. She closed her eyes and shook all over from his gentle touch. He slowly put his arm around her and pulled her to his side. She felt reluctant in some ways as she tensed when he pulled her to him, but then she began nuzzling his side shyly.

"Who are ye?" Merida asked softly feeling his hands move through her hair in gentle strokes.

He paused wondering how to respond to that. His given name wasn't Mor'du. It developed during his battles and was more so his warrior name. His given names meant dark, but as he grew, which he did quickly, other warriors started calling him the great dark one or, Mor'du. "Dùghall," He finally answered, "But ye may know me by another."

"I… I know ye?" She questioned.

He gulped. "I'm not as I once was, so I'd wish ye get to know me before I show myself."

"I feel like I know ye already though I dona know why." She smiled running her hands up to where she thought his chest would be. Though she saw nothing she felt the firmness of some very obvious muscles. "Yer not a small man are ye?"

He chuckled. "No. Not at all."

She ran her hands up his pecs, caressed his neck, over his cheek, and through his hair pulling a groan from him. "Yer tall. Maybe taller than my da." She muttered.

"Aye." He answered in a husky voice. He wasn't sure how much more he could take of her little callused fingertips. She'd obviously been an archer for sometime because he could feel the distinct line where she'd pulled back her bow. Her finger wandered over his face trying to see through feel and she came to his beard.

"Yer not a young lad are ye?" She questioned further.

"I suppose I'm well into my 20s physically, but I've been around for many many years." He explained giving her a hint he soon regretted.

"Because yer a ghost?"

"Because I've been a great many things." He sighed reluctantly.

She pulled her hand back with a jerk and moved away from him. "What color is yer hair?"

The feeling between them grew tense as he could see a concern going through her eyes. He answered quietly, "Dark brown… some say black."

"and yer eyes?" She gulped.

He hesitated and with a strained exhale he admitted, "I've been told they're yellow or gold in color."

"Is yer name really Dùghall?"

"Some have called me different." He whispered.

She blinked wildly and her jaw grew tense. "Show yerself right now!" She demanded.

Reluctantly he let the curtain of invisibility fall and stood before her. She shook her head in disbelief and if she could have said no she would have, but she couldn't even breath. He hated seeing the change in her eyes. Before she was so curious, maybe even intrigued, but now she just stared at him with distrust. He turned around unable to look at her and then he spoke breaking the silence. "This is how I expected ye to react, but I just didna realize how difficult it would be for me to accept it. I understand if ye want to leave, but I was hoping…"

Before he could finish Merida dashed down the mountain frantically wishing she'd wake up from her nightmare. She couldn't believe it. The ghost was that of Mor'du, the beast that murder his family, the bear that ate her father's leg, the savage that almost killed her and her mother. She just couldn't believe it! Her heart felt strangled by her own lungs and as she untied Angus she felt tears forming in her eyes. She rode off in the night towards the castle trying with great effort to choke back her tears and feeling as though she'd ran her emotions dry.

She made her way back into the castle, up to her room, and crashed on her bed. The tears no longer ran down her face, but she felt pain from her head to her toes. With a heavy heart and a staggered breath she felt drained of energy. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep hoping that the next day she'd move on from her heartache.


	6. Fated

Chapter 6: Fated

Days went by and Merida spent most of her time in her bedroom crying. She didn't know what to feel. She'd put so much of her emotions into it her heart and desires. Now an arrow pierced right through her chest. She avoided her family until the week before her birthday. That's when her mother intervened. She came in with four maids bringing sheets of fabric.

"Merida." Elinor said shaking her daughter shoulder. Merida, yet again, was staring out her window with a forlorn look.

"Aye Mum." Merida sighed with a frown.

"Look!" Elinor smiled gesturing towards the fabric.

Merida looked with sad disinterested eyes. "Ye want me to pick out some fabric for a dress?" Merida stated more than questioned.

"Umm… I was hopin so." Elinor laughed rubbing her swollen belly. "For yer 19th Birthday!"

Merida huffed. "The blue." She pointed without looking.

Elinor smiled touching the aqua fabric and quietly asked the maids to leave. Once they left she touched Merida's shoulder gently and was shocked to see Merida crumble into tears. Elinor then hugged her sobbing daughter trying to comfort her, but the curiosity was eating at her. This wasn't just tears, Elinor observes. This was love sick tears.

"Who is he?" Elinor asked.

"I'm … na… suuuure." Merida cried.

"You love him dona ye?" Elinor asked.

"Ayyyyye." Merida sniffled.

Elinor held her close. "It hurts. Just find yer strength and think of Boudica."

That made Merida fall into deeper sobs. Thinking of Boudica was not at all a relief. She thought of every sort of suffering every female had to endure over the centuries. "I hate mennnnn." Merida sobbed.

"Oh Merida. I wish ye'd open up to me." Elinor said holding her beautiful daughter closer.

"I dona want to talk about it. I want to be alone." Merida wept.

Elinor stayed rubbing her back awhile longer, but Merida wasn't going to let go of her pain. She continued to stare out the window as tears dripped down her face. Elinor kissed the crown of her daughters head and decided she'd return later when Merida had come to her own conclusions.

Merida couldn't get him out of her head. She thought of him standing there, not quite human, but not quite ghost. Firm enough to touch, but not viable enough to be human. She buried her head in her crossed arms trying to regain composure. All she could see was his pleading eyes. She imagined his touch, which now hurt, imagined his sad eyes, which now pained her and imaged how ruggedly handsome he was, which now drove her mad. "Oooohh… I hate himmm." She cursed through her tears.

The rest of the day was spent walking about her room swishing her sword around in an effort to release her frustrations. In 7 days time was her birthday. She'd be dressed and presented like a beautiful bird yet again. This time with a little more desperation coming from her parents. Most girls her age were already having babies. As much as they tried to hide their concerns it was apparent to Merida that her parents truly hoped she'd find a suitor soon.

"Out with the old princess and in with the new." She grumbled to herself.

She landed on her bed closing her eyes, cursing all her feelings and the image of him again came to her mind. "This canna continue." She said with a newf ound determination. "I've got more important things to worry about. I'm goin to confront him."

She snuck out, jumped on Angus, made her way past the castle without being notice and then found her way through the forest. She found the spring where he'd touched her so intimately and waited…. and waited… and waited. Determination was one thing, but determination fueled by love and anger mixed together was dangerous. It could go one way or another and Merida found herself going from pure rage to numbness. The numbness caused her to lay her head down and she found herself feeling quite tired.

Meanwhile….

Mor'du had found himself hurt beyond recognition. How he wanted her and he loved her and now …. what hope did he have. She knew who he was. He roamed the woods like a wild unknown creature. He mourned for her as though she'd passed into the next life. He was now neither spirit nor human and concluded he'd be forever punished for his past actions.

He walked to the spring where they had their encounter. He recalled her moves and the bliss of her movements under the water. He got on his knees in a worship, but he quickly became angered seeing it wasn't quite the same without her presence. He pounded the ground below his fist and cursed his existence.

This continued for days. He'd return and return finding the same scene. The only difference now was that the leaves had gone from vivid oranges to deep rust. The season itself was torture as it represented a constant reminder of her most distinct feature. Her untamed curls. He imagined himself again and again having his face buried into those curls.

He again found himself wandering without destination and walked up the mountain where everything had gone so horribly wrong. He wished away his life seeing it replay in his mind, but then he heard movement in the distance of the forest. He moved down the mountain and through the trees. He came to the springs that he'd found her bathing in months before. He didn't see her at first, but saw Angus drinking from the waters. He looked around desperately and finally saw a bit of red curls popping out from the tall golden grasses.

Merida had felt herself unable to move for several hours, but despite her lethargic feelings she couldn't sleep. She wanted to be consumed by the seas in that moment, but all she had was the calm loch before her. Suddenly the world around her felt different. She looked up seeing nothing but rust, orange and brown trees. The air remained quiet and she realized how alone she was.

Mor'du knew if he had a heart he would have felt it jump into his throat as she sat up looking into the direction he was standing. He carefully walked over and stood behind her not knowing for sure what to do, but his emotions spoke for him. He found himself pulling her into his chest. At first she punch away at him surprised to find she wasn't alone. Once the shock of his embrace wore off she found herself falling limp in his embrace, crying, and not wanting to accept his love. Her emotions had enough and she finally moved her arms around his invisible neck. She laid on his shoulder hearing him giving her hushes of comfort.

"Why is everything against us?" She whimpered.

He pulled her chin up to his face and removed his invisibility. "Because nothin in life is given or easy. We have to …. face challenges to appreciate all that we have." He explained passing on some of his wisdom gained through his own pain.

"I've already had that life lesson." She said returning her head to his shoulder unable to look him in the eyes. "But this is different. Yer … yer my da's worst enemy. Yer a beast!" She cried pounding her fist above where his heart would be. She was at a loss when it came to deciphering her emotions. All she knew was that she was in pain and it was making her feel weak. She didn't like feeling weak in front of anyone, especially him.

"I was yer enemy and I was a beast." He corrected. "But I didna know myself during that time. My human side before was full of pride and my bear side full of rage. Both of those parts of me are gone."

"How can ye be sure yev changed for good?" She asked looking up at him with sad watery eyes that melted him.

"Because I began to change before ye crushed me. The witch told me, many many years before you existed, that I'd only be set free by a lass of flaming hair. That's what kept me goin all this time. I knew who I'd someday love and it's been ye most my life." He took a deep breath, "Please dona deny me."

"I canna." She cried clinging onto him. "I … I love ye." She knew she said it without thinking, but she meant it all the same. She felt it was the most honest thing she'd ever said and felt at the same time. As much as she wanted to reject it fate bound them and she knew deep down that she'd never be happy with anyone else.

"I love ye too." He breathed placing his large hands on her cheeks. He leaned in and pulled her lips to his. At first his kiss was so soft and innocent and then he felt himself unable to hold back. He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her in deeper. She moaned feeling the intensity of his soft lips meeting hers and then she began to feel the kiss grow feathery soft again. She opened her eyes and saw him disappearing in front of her.

"Please...no!" She gasped. Slowly his eyes grew concerned, but he clung to her not wanting their moments to end. A strong wind blew in. Leaves seemed to blow right into her eyes blinding her and pulling her away from him. As the winds settled down she could see he was no longer there.

She panicked and quickly began calling, "Mor'du! Mor'du!" No one answered. Then she thought back. "Dùghall, Dùghall!" She cried out. Still no one called back. She balled up sobbing and determined she was destined to always suffer. As she laid there crying she heard a bubbling noise and lifted her head. It was coming from the falls. She sat up and watched as the spring began to draw watery lines like a quill. The watery lines developed quickly into that of a male form and then as the sun set it glimmered against the falls blinding Merida. She hid her face from the unnatural ray of light and waited to lift her head.

When the light finally passed the horizon Merida looked up to see Mor'du in his human form stepping away from the falls. He seemed confused as he looked himself over. He then looked up to see his lass at the edge of the falls as bewildered as he. She was frozen in disbelief and he found himself also frozen, afraid something would go wrong at any moment. He felt a heartbeat pushing blood through his body and he lifted his hands to his face feeling the warmth of his cheeks. That was all he needed. He made his way through the cold water, stood before her, a head taller and without a second thought scooped her up into her arms.

Still in shock Merida felt unable the breath, but as he lifted her off the ground with one mighty embrace she felt herself tremble. She continued to tremble in his arm. He then pulled back looking her up and down. "Is that yer heartbeat or my own?" He questioned.

"Yer heart." She gasped laying her head on his chest. She looked up at him with a gasp. "Yer …. Alive!"

"Aye." He whispered in a husky breath pulling her up for a passionate kiss.


	7. Feast

Chapter 7. Feast

"Good mornin." Merida grinned bouncing her way to the table for breakfast.

"Good mornin." Elinor replied with a suspicious brow. Merida had been more than changed over the last few days. She had a permanent smile plastered on her face which was much different than she had been and Elinor knew that look anywhere. It was the look of love. "So when are we goin to meet him?" She asked looking up from buttering her bread.

"Meet who mum?" Merida questioned with her mouthful.

"Yer man." Elinor said with a smug grin.

"My man," Merida said forcing a laugh, "What man?"

Fergus dropped his ham he was preparing to eat and looked at Merida with a stoicness she wasn't use to. "Ye sneakin off with a lad that hasna been properly introduced to us?"

"No da." Merida scoffed. "I'm just gettin excited about my birthday feast. Canna not just be excited about my birthday feast?" She looked down at her food and violently stabbed it with a fork.

"So if yer not sneakin off with some lad then where are ye sneaking off to?" Hubert asked.

Merida looked up at her brothers who were giving her suspicious grins. She narrowed her eyes and replied, "Why is everyone all the sudden interest in me!" Looking around the table her parents now looked more concerned than suspicious and having enough she stood in a huff marching back to her room.

"Ye have a fitting later. Remember!" Elinor called as her fiery maned daughter stomped off.

Despite her frustrations with her family Merida could still feel the effects of her constant smile that she'd been holding onto for days. Her sour moods never lasted long. Every time she opened her thoughts they were on him. She laid back in her bed remembering how after several stolen kisses they both decided she'd go home, but would return the next day. That following day after his transformation was one of the most beautiful days of Merida life. She closed her eyes and cuddled to her pillow remembering it.

Days before…

Mor'du was still trying to get use to his living form again. His first thoughts were on Merida after his transformation, but after she left that night he found himself confused with the flurry of feelings he was experiencing. He found he depleted of energy so quickly. His bear form went on instincts rather than feelings, so he never noticed as much. His wisp form didn't require energy. It was the energy that fed into the forest. This human form that he'd forgotten was emotional, hungry, tired, too cold, too warm, and just completely uncomfortable.

He frowned while trying to catch a fish the way he use to as a bear. It tooks a good hour before he was able to throw one to shore. He thought he would die of hunger while he cooked it and then as the food entered his system he felt his body reacting with tingles and relief. He forgot how intense humans felt.

Once fed and warmed by a fire he realized one, he needed a blanket and two, he missed Merida terribly. He wanted to feel her to him, smell her hair, and let his hands memorize everything about her that made her a woman. Needless to say he didn't sleep much that night. He woke the next morning startled, hearing hoofs approaching. He got to his feet and saw that it was Merida. Her eyes smiled as she saw him too and gave him a dazzling grin that lit up her whole face. She jumped off her horse and they both began to rush towards each other.

"Good morn…" Her words were cut off by a hungry kiss. She refused to close her eyes enjoying the sight of his proximity and was now able to study his features in the light. His hair was such a deep brown it looked more black. His brow was concentrated slightly over his dark slanted eyes with black thick lashes, but the color of them was not dark at all. They seemed to glow a strange yellow gold. His nose was narrow and shown character. It had obviously been broken a time or two, but she found herself attracted to this flaw. She let her hands continue the rest of the study bringing her hands up to his broad cheekbones and sharp jawline. Her fingers then eagerly snaked their way through his silk locks that ran just to his shoulder blades. Her tongue explored his lush lips, so perfectly full and smooth. His white teeth, which she could see even the previous night, were perfectly aligned like a firm bite and his beard, which was tickling her face, hid a nicely shaped chin.

He wanted nothing more than to take it slow with her, but she was making it difficult as her hands caressed him and then her tongue. He groaned and pulled back looking at her with wild eyes. He supposed it wasn't her fault. He did kiss her first, but he'd never felt this way about anyone. He craved her so fiercely that he couldn't think. His needs just shoved any sensible actions out of the way and he could see, in her wild sea storm eyes, that she was no better. He knew they were treading in dangerous waters.

"I'm sorry." He panted. "I jest couldna think for a moment."

"I ummm... understand." She panted back with a devious smile spreading across her face. She turned for a second and then whistled for her horse. Angus drew near and she began to unload items off it's back. "I feel terrible leavin ye last night without thinkin of yer conditions. I brought a tent and some other things until we can figure out somethin different."

"Tapadh leat." He smiled helping her unload the rest. Watching her reach for items off her tall horse gave him an opportunity to study the way her body moved and curved in different directions. As she went to her toes he could see the fabric of her dress resting on the small of her waist and cling to her goddess like hips and bottom. Though Mor'du was never a religious man he felt himself muttering, "Oh Saint Drostan help me."

"Hmmm?" Merida asked finally reaching the basket that left her wiggling around for so long.

"Nothin." He replied.

"Are ye hungry?" She asked with Mischievous eyes.

"Aye, I could eat a horse." He admitted. Angus nayed and bucked as if understanding what Mor'du had just said. "or deer." He corrected.

Merida chuckled and lead him over to a blanket she had laid out. "Well I dona have either. I have some lamb and some tarts."

"Tarts?" He questioned.

"Aye?" She replied looking at him confused.

"What is tarts?" He re-asked.

"What do ye mean, 'what is tart?' This is a tart." She said handing him one.

He took a nibble, followed by a large bite and enjoyed the taste so much he rolled his eyes. "This is delicious. I've never tasted anything so sweet."

It then hit her. "How long had ye been …. a bear?"

"That last time I was in human form was... I suppose around 750." He said holding the bridge of his nose as though it took great effort to think back.

Merida didn't respond right away. Instead she did some quick math in her head, went over the numbers again … and again. "750? That canna be."

"Aye. Tis. Maybe a few years off, but I would have been in my late 20s when I became a bear and that seems to be the year. What year is it now?"

"Tis 1192." She stated staring at him with an unreadable expression. "Ye were a bear for over 400 years."

"So much must have changed. Did we finally beat the Britons?" He asked seeing that the lands seemed somewhat peaceful.

"The Britons? Ye mean the English?" Her head was now spinning with realizations of all that he was unaware of and it was more than just food upgrades.

"English?"

"Like Angles… Anglo-saxons.." She began to explain.

"The Angles took over?" He asked raising his voice.

"Oh bless me." She huffed. "Let me start with as far as I know."

It was moments like these that Merida wished she'd paid more attention to her mother's history lessons. She found herself struggling to explain how various groups from Europe had been attacking and trading off the British isles. She went onto explaining the major groups were the Anglo-saxons followed by the Normans. The whole time he stared at her with disbelief and his mouth unmoving as though he was afraid to ask more.

She was sure he would jump out of his skin as she explained how Henry II forced King William of Scotland into a treaty to give up Scotland. She told him of her father fighting in the many rebellions and had remained faithful to King William earning him Laird of the land in their territory. She then went onto explain how King Richard came to power and needed money for the crusades, so he sold the lands back to Scotland.

"The crusades?" Mor'du felt himself finally able to question.

"I canna explain anymore. That's too much in itself." She said out of breath and laying back to look at the sky.

Mor'du crawled next to her, not wanting to cuddle her, but just to lay next to her and try to absorb all that she had explained. Her shoulder to his seemed to some how help him find strength and eventually acceptance in all the changes. "I may be more than ye want to deal with lass." He sighed. "I'm behind on everythin."

"No." she said leaning over to her side and looking down on him with a red strand of her hair falling from her face to his. "I would never give up on ye."

He tucked the strand back with her other curls and caressed her unbelievably soft face.

"Yer somethin to behold lass. I'm glad I lasted all those years to be with ye now."

Merida search his eyes seeing the truth in his words and found her emotions were taking control of her body. She scooted her body on top of his and kissed his lips ever so gently. She was as sweet as honey, he thought licking her lips. She pulled away from her kiss to silently worship him as he did her in return.

He found himself running his hands to her waist and slowly moved them down the back of her. It took whatever patience he had left not to run his hands past her bottom, to the back of her thighs and to pull her legs around him. Mor'du felt his heart leaping about like a rabbit as her feather like kisses moved from his lips, to his ears, down his jaw and when she came to his neck he felt himself growing so undeniably hard he knew of only two options.

"Merida." He growled rolling her to her back. He panted violently with a shaken expression. "I must slow down."

She stared up at the sky, wide eyed with her lips held together tight. As frustrated as she was he was right. She could feel his need for her through his thin black robe and felt slightly alarmed by the size of him. She wondered to herself if she'd ever be ready for him. She looked over at him and sighed, "We should probably set up the tent before we lose light."

He didn't reply, but nodded still looking up at the sky and then stood to his feet. He seemed to keep his eyes diverted from her direction while they set up the tent, but she did catch him watching her at one point as she tried to place one of the tent edges on a wooden pole. He came up behind her as she struggled to reach it and placed his arms around her to help her the remainder of the way. She look up and behind her to see him fix what she couldn't, but as he looked down his eyes seemed to move around her face. As they met her eyes his breath became heavy and hot through his nostrils like the bear he once was. It made her fearful and excited all at the same time.

He cleared his throat and quickly turned from her. They remained awkwardly silent while they finished setting the remainder of the items inside the tent. He was very impressed with her insight to what was needed. She may have been a princess, but she certainly wasn't naive when it came to survival in the wilderness. She brought him fishing spears, nets, blankets, various knives, breads, cheese, and a bow and arrows.

"That's right. Yer a bit of an expert archer." He said holding it up.

"Aye. Do ye know how to use a bow and arrow?" She questioned.

He shook his head no. "I've watched ye enough to where I think I can figure it out."

She snorted skeptically. "Let's see what ye can do."

He rolled his eyes and picked up the bow the way he'd seen her do many times before. He placed the arrow in position and pulled back on the string and then with a snap, it broke. Merida fell over in hysteria. "I dona believe I've ever seen that happen and that's a good bow."

"I'm … sorry." He said rubbing the back of his head.

"No. I've got some extra string in my saddle bag." She said with a little laughter still in her voice. She proceeded to restring the bow and then teased, "Ye may want to practice pulling the string a little differently before givin it a real try." She said giving him a quick demonstration.

He grinned and tapped the end of her pointed nose. "I'll take the advise."

The sky was growing darker and Merida knew it was time to be on her way home, but she felt herself feeling completely anxious with the thought of leaving him. She could see the hesitation in his eyes to let her go and before she jumped on Angus Mor'du twirled her to him, lifted her with his muscular arms, and gave her one last kiss. They both had found niether wanted to be the first to pull away, but finally Mor'du moved a kiss to her jaw and then scattered a few kisses to her neck before placing her on Angus.

"I'll be back in the mornin." She simply told him with eyes still half lidded with lust.

"Aye." He replied in a husky whisper.

She took off quickly afraid if she delayed anymore she'd find herself staying the night with him. She quickly walked past her father and brothers who were outside with their swords, past Maudie who was searching for something, probably her, and then crept past her parents room where her mother lay. She entered her room, took a deep breath and fell into bed with feelings that made her want to writhe all over with need. She found herself unable to sleep feeling that everything was him, the blankets, the pillows, even her own hands seemed to imitate him, but they wouldn't satisfy her.

She wanted the real Mor'du. She wanted his warrior muscular body against her own, she wanted to trace her fingers along the blue tattoos of his arms, pecs and torso and she wanted him nibbling those delicious kisses all over. She found herself again unable to sleep as her body ached in ways that wouldn't stop and new pictures of them together kept popping up in her mind the minute she'd close her eyes.

The next day she rode to see him yawning lazily. She found herself falling asleep on Angus more than once as the trotted through the woods. Finally she found her way to the spring where he'd set up camp. She looked around, but didn't find him neither inside or outside the tent. She looked around confused, but then she heard a whooshing noise followed by a striking noise in the distance. She walked around the trees and finally found him, but she froze in shock as she watched him. He pulled back the bow and arrow and hit a tree branch dead on.

"Mor'du." She finally called. "How … when did ye… I thought ye didna know how to…"

"I didna, but," He grinned a little proud of himself, "I'm a quick study."

"I'm … rather jealous." She admitted walking to him.

He dropped the bow to the ground and bent down to find the relief he'd been waiting all morning for, her lips. As he pulled back he could see her eyes looked tired and she seemed a little paler than usual. "Are ye feelin alright lass?"

"Aye," She yawned, "I just didna sleep much last night."

"Me neither." He admitted. "My dreams were findin ye every time I closed my eyes."

"Would ye be against the idea of us layin together for a quick shut eye?" She asked.

He could see she wasn't looking for anything else, so without finding any sin in falling asleep with each other he agreed. The stretched out some wool blankets on the ground under the tent, made a pillow out of some furs, and pulled the blankets over their bodies. The minute Merida found herself in Mor'du's arms and against his chest she seemed finally comfortable. The need was met and she slowly drifted off.

A few hours later she woke finding Mor'du cooking at a fire outside the tent. He had two rabbits roasting and Merida found herself again impressed. "Yer cook?" She asked.

He hadn't heard her waking and he turned with a jump seeing her standing there with a mess of curls all around her. He found she looked quite innocent with her bedhead and rubbing her eyes. She sat down next to him and after taking her in he answered her question. "Aye. I was always travelin and livin much like this from the time I was 15."

"What?" She questioned stunned. She assumed him being a prince meant that he would have been raised in a castle staying there until it was his time to rule.

"Aye. I was the oldest of four boys and it was my duty to command my father's army. He … sent me before I was ready, but most of my life was spent just like this, camping, hunting, cooking over fires, and sleeping on the ground. The other part of my life was spent in rather bloody ways yed not wish to hear about."

"Ye commanded an army at 15?" She questioned with large eyes.

"Aye." He admitted with bitter eyes.

She studied him for a moment as he became real quiet and looked bothered. His past was more complex than she assumed. "Can ye tell me about how it all happened? Ye ended up as a bear I mean."

He huffed out his nose. "I'm afraid yell hate me if I do." He admitted.

She shook her head. "I know whatever ye were in that past isna what ye are now." She grabbed his hand and kissed his knuckles showing trust.

He gave her half a smile and pulled her to his lap not satisfied with their distance. She ran her hands through his hair as he looked out at the loch focussed. He decided she had to know at some point and it was better sooner than later. He then went on to tell her the story that she had heard from her mother so many times before, but this time from his perspective. Though she didn't agree with his pride, his hunger for power or his quick temper she understood why he was pushed to become that way. He explained how his father made the mistake of pushing him to be the responsible, strong one of his brothers. The idea to protect and lead them was hammered into his mind by his father's stern ways. By the time his father finally saw that he'd created a raging blood hungry warrior it had become too late. Mor'du had already fell into the trap of his own upbringing.

"Had my mum been alive life would have been different. I would have been different." He admitted, "But that doesna give excuse to my actions. I committed an unforgivable sin. I murdered my brothers. I shouldna be givin this second chance at life, but despite my guilt I canna regret any of it because then I wouldna have ye." He said running his hands from her neck to her face.

Merida wrapped her arms around his neck and looked deeply into his eyes. "I wish ye didna have to go through such pains to be with me." She didn't know what else say. His past was much darker than her own yet she understood him completely. She too suffered the blindness of her emotions and had reacted irrationally when she made her deal with the witch. She felt no other person on the planet could connect with her as much as he did. "Mor'du?" She questioned.

"I think it would be better if ye start callin me Dùghall. I also think we should maybe come up with an explanation for me. I was thinkin maybe it would be best that no one know…"

"Dùghall." She interrupted. She looked so serious all the sudden.

"Merida." He said back with a curious grin.

"I love ye so much and …. I dona want to be with another." She said with sincerity.

Her words of devotion took his breath away. As he stared at her silently her eyes started to grow insecure. He quickly ended those doubts by pulling her into his warm embrace and whispering in her ear, "I love ye more than my life and yell always be mine."

Shivers fell down her spine as his deep voice murmured in her ear. They clung to each other unmovings for the remainder of the night. Merida felt bound to him in that moment and the days that followed went by like a dream, each one painting pictures into her memories so beautiful that she knew they would remain for the rest of her life. Memories of riding on Angus together through the highlands, challenging each other to archery contest, sitting on their mountain watching the sun set, and through it all Mor'du always remained the perfect gentleman. It was becoming an irritation for Merida.

She knew there was more than just these passionate kisses and strong embraces that he was capable of. The way he touched her at the falls had replayed so many times in her mind. The thought of the feeling of his hands on her most intimate of places made her crinkle up her toes and ball her fist into her blankets. She found herself feeling something beyond needy as she lay in her bed. She felt… whatever it was, speared through her like a sword of pleasure, but she couldn't act on this feeling. She was stuck to her room, waiting for her mother to show up for her dress fitting.

It was the day before her birthday and she could care less about all the excitement and decorating in her name. She was growing impatient waiting for her mother. She was ready to give up and sneak away to leave when her doors swung open.

"Hello Dear. Sorry it took so long. We have the main hall decorated so beautifully. Yer goin to love it! Think about all the handsome suitors that will be ready to dance with ye in this!" She said pulling out a dress that wasn't at all how Merida had expected.

It was a crimson red velvet over ivory silk with gold trim . "What happened with the blue?" Merida asked.

"Ye always choose blue and I thought since this is a special occasion ye should stand out." Elinor tried to persuade as she ran the dress in front of Merida.

"Tis not really my taste mum." Merida said glancing at the dress for a total of 10 seconds before standing to look out her window.

"For one night can ye give somethin different a try?" Elinor asked.

"Aye." Merida sulked.

"Now lift yer arms." Elinor instructed.

Merida felt like a limp doll as Elinor shoved the dress on her. She found it strange how it was ribboned together from below bust to the lower waist. It certainly wasn't like any dress she'd seen and it certainly showed more of her body than she was use to. The sleeves were skin tight and belled out at the wrist, the fabric seemed to cling not leaving much to the imagination, and the neck ran down to the top of her bosom. Merida was already staring down at herself in shock, but her eyes went to horror as her mother turned her towards the mirror. "Mum! Are ye and da tryin so hard to marry me off that yed dress me like some wench?"

Elinor just rolled her eyes. "This is much more refined than any wench would wear. This is what all the ladies of the french courts are wearing."

Merida scoffed. "The french have already taken over England. I'm not about to let them corrupt me." She began untying her own dress.

"Merida…" Elinor sighed growing frustrated, "I'm not goin to make ye wear this dress and I didna pick this, but it was sent as a gift from King William in hopes that yell consider his nephew Robert as one of yer suitors. He'll be attending tomorrow."

"Robert?" Merida spit out.

"Aye. Sound's vary English, but maybe yell find him different from the other lads. Maybe that's what ye need. Someone refine and a little tamer than yerself." Elinor suggested.

"I believe refined and tamed dona make the list of qualities I want in a man." Merida admitted stepping out of the dress she considered an abomination.

"Please consider it my dear." Elinor begged. "I've given ye the right to marry who ye wish, but to reject a gift from the King of Scotland may tarnish more than his opinion on ye. Remember that."

"Let me think on it." Merida said with a huff of defeat. She knew what her mother meant. It would not put her father in the King's favor and they were able to keep all they had because he had been due to his allegiance during the rebellions against Henry II.

"Thank ye." Elinor smiled. She watched as Merida threw on her tattered blue dress and placed on her cloak. Elinor looked at her with an arched brow. "Where ye off to?"

"Just takin Angus out for a ride."

"Yev been out a lot lately with Angus." Elinor pointed out suspiciously.

"Well… soon it will be cold and I will na have a chance, so… I'm just enjoyin it while I can." Merida's attempt at hiding herself was apparent even to herself, but she dashed out of her room before Elinor could question her anymore.

Merida rode off in a frenzy of emotions to meet with the man she truly wanted to be with. She found him sitting by the fire warming his hands. He stood to greet her, maybe give her a gentle kiss, but she had a look in her eyes that looked determined. She leapt up into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling up her dress to have her legs tangled around his waist, and the kiss she gave him was so fierce that he began losing control.

Though he could feel his lips freeze at first by reaction to her actions he quickly began to match her fever. She felt his fist clinging to the fabric of her dress on her waist and his chest heaved every breath through his nose like it was his last. That want to keep her innocent was quickly disappearing as though it had never existed in the first place. His body was screaming take her… take her… take her…

"Take me." She whimpered into his neck as though she could hear the needs screaming to her.

He groaned laying her on the ground. He began planting heated kisses all over her neck while his hands found her calves and then her knees and then her thighs. The feel of her flesh in his hands was making the blood pump through him like lava. He felt like the bear he once was.

She had missed this side of him. He was so instinctual and his large rough hands on her thighs made that flame burst at her center. She moaned and found his golden eyes flickering dangerously at her. He then devoured her neck with his tongue and lips. She withered under him as his hot breath blew down the front of her dress and his name slipped her lips. He gritted his teeth trying again to control himself and laid his head on her breast, panting, and unmoving.

"Dona stop. Please make me yers." She again pleaded.

He looked up at her with dark eyes. "I want ye so much it makes me ill." He practically growled. "But I dona want ye for just one night. I want ye all the time and the only way that's going to happen is to make ye my wife."

Her eyes went cold and she pushed him off her. She frowned, sat up pulling her knees to her chest, and straightened her dress back over her legs. "I dona intend on gettin married to anyone."

He stared at her with hurt eyes. "I thought I was more than that to ye."

She exhaled frustrated. "Yer everythin to me. I just dona like the thought of marriage or…" She didn't even want to say it.

"Or…?" He said leaning in trying to read her eyes.

"Or become a queen." She finally admitted.

"So… yed never marry me because ye dona want to be a queen?"

"Yer makin this about ye and that's not it at all. I want to be with ye, but marriage only brings me one step closer to bein a queen. I'm na the queen type. Ye know this. Look at me. I'm na refined or obedient. I'm jest this … wild creature that doesna belong anywhere." She explained.

"Ye belong with me." He said slightly cross.

"Aye." She admitted letting go of some of her tension and placing her hand in his. "Which is why I want to run away with ye after my birthday feast."

"Yer birthday feast?" He questioned with one brow cocked up in her direction.

"Aye, it's tomorrow." She said with such melancholy. "and … men from all over the land will be lined up tryin to become my suitor."

"What!" He snarled.

"Of course if we run away before the feast then I could avoid it all together. I think that sounds like a better plan." She said nodding her head.

"No ones running away lass." He grumbled. "This is what will happen. I'm showin up at yer birthday feast and yell announce me as yer suitor."

She looked at him amused. "Ye canna show up. Everyone knows what ye look like. They saw yer spirit. Remember."

"Aye, but I thought we could jest tell them I'm Dùghall, the descendant of Mor'du. Looks are often repeated down family lines." He offered.

Merida shook her head no. "Ye dona have the appropriate attire."

"I'm sure I can put somethin together." He appealed. "and I'll shave this animal off my face." He said touching his beard.

"But… I like yer beard." She said running her hand over his face. She was curious to see what was underneath, but not enough so to let him come to the feast. "and … ye canna meet my family yet. I'm not ready for that." She huffed, "Why are ye against the idea of us running away together?"

"I have all kinds of reasons. For one we could get caught, I could be accused of kidnapping a princess, it's nearly winter, we could freeze to death, or starve and I should think yed know the consequences of running from yer problems." he balked.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not running away from my problems. I'm keepin more from happenin. I'm not meant to rule a kingdom. I'm not ready!" She stood exasperated

"No one is every ready, but they rule because it's their duty and if ye dona lead yer people who will?" He questioned.

"Maybe ye want to!" She shouted. "Maybe that's why yer so keen on the idea of marrying a princess!"

His jaw tightened and he stood so quickly before her, with such dark eyes, and a grim look on his face that was so terrifying Merida found herself backing away from him. He moved tensely towards her, his fist tightened to his side, and backed her up against a tree. He hovered over her and stared at her with a savageness she only thought possible of his bear side. He leaned in with his hands on the tree behind her and to each side of her body. In a deep thunderous voice he explained, "I have no intentions of using ye for yer title. I know deep down in that stubborn mind of yers ye know how much I love ye, but if I ever hear ye suggestin that again I will take ye over my knee and give ye a good beatin."

Merida, who was shaken, not knowing this side of him was possible, didn't respond. However, still angry she dodged under his arms and ran off towards Angus. She took one scornful look back at him before she went racing off towards the castle. Mor'du was filled with a rage he hadn't felt since his days as a warrior. He quickly turned and slammed his fist into the tree. It wasn't the smartest idea he realized almost immediately as he heard the grinding of bone in the knuckle of his pointer finger. He cried out in pain and swore words that he had never done consecutively. Words worse than his days battling.

"What am I goin to do now?" He sighed to himself. There was no way he'd miss Merida's birthday feast. He was determined to go and keep other men off his lass. He was also determined to end these wild sessions in the woods and to start courting her properly. Though he was furious with her for refusing to let him come he decided she was right about one thing. He didn't look the part. He'd seen the clothes of the men at that time and they were very different than his tattered robes and fur cloak. He needed to make himself presentable, not just for Merida, but for her parents.

It was going to be difficult to acquire what he needed in a days time, but he knew of one miracle worker that liked to hide in a certain part of the woods that no one stumbled upon on purpose. He walked past the loch, into the woods, between the mountains, into another forest to come across a hut. He knocked and the door swung open on it's own.

"What brings ye here stranger? We have a variety of carvings and can…" Then she turned to see Mor'du standing at the door. "It's ye. I thought ye said yed leave me alone… however, I'm glad ye returned. It seems my spell worked!"

He stepped in. "Aye. I'm very glad it didna turn me into a bear again."

"How interestin. I must document this and bring this information for the annual witches gatherin at stonehenge. The group will be very excited."

"Happy to see I could be of assistance to ye, but now… I need some assistin myself." He admitted stepping in and looking around at her new carvings of fairy folk.

"I've assist ye enough." She grumbled returning to her carving. "That and I'm not offering any spells at this time. I'm quite backed up."

"Oh… ye dona have to use magic. I just need a change of clothes. Somethin suitable to meet possible future in laws." He smiled leaning his back against the wall and crossing his arms.

"and I can only assume that these in-laws yer talking about are the princess's parents." She smirked.

"Aye. She's having a vary special birthday feast tomorrow, so I need to look vary presentable and..." He paced around a bit. "I need my ring back."

"Yer ring back?" She questioned.

"I need to show proof that I am indeed a prince." He explained.

"and what will I get for this?" The witch questioned.

"Well… if I do indeed marry the princess I imagine I'd be able to compensate ye or offer ye some sort of favor."

The witch contemplated for a moment. "Offer me this, if ye do indeed become a King someday swear that under ye no witch shall be hunted or persecuted in yer lands."

"Aye." He agreed without a second thought. "That sounds more than fair."

She shrugged and with a chuckled pulled out her wand. "I've always wanted to give this fairy godmother thing a try."


	8. Birthday

Chapter 8. Birthday

Merida had gone to bed angry the night before her birthday and she found she was still frustrated the next day. No one came to wake her as traditionally they let her sleep in on her birthday. Usually she laid around contently rolling around until noon. This birthday was different. She was beyond upset with the argument her and Mor'du had the previous night. She couldn't understand why he was so set on marrying her and it made her doubt his intentions.

"He obviously still has a hunger for power." She grumbled to herself.

Maudie eventually brought her breakfast and she at her window eating it. One by one ships sailed in. Lord this, sir that, princes from here and there all made their way up to the castle. Merida watched bitterly, rolling her eyes, and not impressed in the least. There was one she did glance down at for more than a second, but only out of curiosity. That was Lord Robert. His dress seemed different than the other highland lads and she was slightly intrigued to see how the English dressed. He wore a long red tunic belted around the waist with a green sash, a black cloak hung behind him and he wore black tights. He had on ornate gold arm cuffs and his sandy hair was cut straight at the shoulders.

"How odd." She muttered to herself. His face was neither unattractive nor handsome, but he looked rather ordinary with a long straight nose and round brown eyes. Having her fill of observing the outsider she let her eyes move around to survey the other suitors. Most looked like typical highland royalty, but there was one familiar face that caught her attention.

"Back for more are ye?" She smirked looking down at Young Macintosh. He was still as arrogant as ever as he ran his hands through his black locks. He was nice to look at, but none of them were quite as handsome as Mor'du. She felt her anger changing into grief as she thought about his look of betrayal when she accused him of wanting to marry her for a right to rule. The more and more she thought back to it the more she began to see the truth. His love for her couldn't have been an act. The way he caressed her, kissed her and adored her with his eyes was evidence of his true feelings.

"I've been a fool." She whispered crashing to her bed. She realized he was just trying to do what was right, but she wished he wouldn't care so much. She wished he'd just agreed to their running away and to whisk her off to somewhere far away. As much as she hated to admit it he was rightfully concerned about their prospects of their survival being winter near, but she had just hoped that through love they'd find a way to survive. Now that she was thinking it through she realized how ridiculous her plan was.

She closed her eyes trying to find rest before she had to deal with groups of men trying to impress her. Just as sleep began to take her she heard someone barging into her room. "Happy Birthday my dear!" Her mother's voice boomed startling Merida to sit straight up in bed.

"Mum." She croaked and blinked trying to clear her eyes of sleep.

"Oh sorry dear, did I wake ye?" Elinor asked bringing in her lady's maid Fiona, who was carrying the red dress. "It's nearly dinner time. Have ye been sleepin this whole time?"

"No mum. I just thought I'd lay down before I was shown around the room like livestock." She frowned.

Elinor rolled her eyes, "I think yell enjoy yerself once yer in the great hall."

Merida grumbled, "I doubt it, but the sooner in the sooner out. Fine," She sighed, "Help me put this red mess on."

Fiona pulled the different parts of the dress over Merida's head and then moved to the bodice to tighten the ribbons in front. She straightened out the flowing layers and then sat Merida down in a chair. Merida cringed as Fiona lifted her weapon of choice, the hairbrush and began brushing out Merida's curls. She then began braiding a crown on top of Merida's head with the top half of her hair and left the bottom half loose in a puff of curls. Merida grew concerned with what the maid had done to her until Fiona placed her in front of a mirror.

"I look different." Merida said lifting her brow in surprise. She didn't want to admit that she looked more beautiful than she ever had, but she wasn't sure she was even looking at herself.

"Ye look so lovely." Fiona sighed brushing her curls and straightening out her dress as she stood.

"Jest… one more touch." Elinor smiled and placed a thin gold band around Merida's forehead, tucked into her braid, and with one lone pearl the hung down above her brow. "There… now yer perfect."

Merida looked once again at herself in the mirror. Fiona smiled adoringly to her left and Elinor wept silently and joyously to her right, but Merida stared at the imposter with wide eyes and a melancholy expression. She felt she was going to her death and everyone else seemed in celebration over it. She pushed her chin bitterly forward and prepared for her descent down the stairs.

Everyone was gathered in the great hall and as Merida made her way down the stairs and around the corner she felt as though she was ready to be sick. They'd never had a gathering like this before and she could already hear the booming of different male voices from behind the door. She wanted to turn and run, but with her pregnant mother next to her side she felt chained up. Slowly the door opened and Merida felt hundreds of eyes on her all at once. She felt herself growing quite shaky and ready to bolt, but then Elinor grabbed her hand. "Just smile and try to make it to the throne." She whispered to Merida.

Merida could feel her brow expressing how horrified she was, but she did her best to fake a smile as she walked through a cleared path surrounded by gawking males. She gulped and moved forward. After making it to her throne she slowly took her seat and let out a sigh of relief. Her father stood and the room went quiet.

"So...ummm… We'd like to present our daughter Merida and thank ye all for joinin us in celebration of her 19th birthday. As ye may have noticed the servants have brought up the beer and wine and… food will be presented shortly, so… let's drink to my bonnie lass, Princess Merida!" He awkwardly managed to say.

All the men in the room hoorayed and lifted their pint cups in celebration. The room went from loud to booming as the music began to play and everyone tried to talk over flutes, drums, and bagpipes. Then the food was brought out and the room went significantly quieter as everyone busied themselves with eating. Merida tried to look anywhere except at the crowd as to avoid any suggestive behavior, but she felt several eyes studying her and they seemed to be noticing the parts of the dress she despised the most. The wide neckline and the tight bodice. She felt her face growing hot and red as the hungry stares seemed to grow.

"This is unbearable mum." She whispered leaning over to her mother. "It wasna like this last time. They're all lookin at me … like…" She didn't even want to finish.

"Well yev changed in the last three years Merida. Yer na a wee lassie anymore. Yer a lady." Elinor whispered back.

As the night resumed things started to become rowdy. Men began sparring with their swords and a few arguments started up here and there that her father had to mediate. Queen Elinor was quickly running out of patience and stood to make an announcement. "At this time I'd like to invite all the young maidens of the room to join in a circle dance with princess Merida."

Merida looked around curiously not noticing the maidens tucked in amongst the swarms of men. Slowly one by one six popped out hidden amongst the crowd aging from 12 to 17. Merida decided they must have been the sisters to some of the suitors as none of them showed a ring of marriage. Merida flashed her mother an annoyed looked before standing and marching her feet heavily down the platform stairs. With a scowl still on her face she joined hands with the other girls and waited for the music to begin. The only thing she was happy about was that the room grew quiet except for the flute that played.

The girls circled to the right and circled to the left as the men watched the princess on display. She felt betrayed by her mother as she noticed the different eyes burning into her, especially that of Robert, who had more than once taken notice of her dress. Then she felt the eyes move off her and she saw the men turning their heads towards the entry doors. Whispers and mutters filled the room. She looked towards her parents who were trying to see past the large groups of men gathering around someone. Finally Fergus gestured for the musicians to stop and he stood to see what the commotion was all about.

The girls broke their circle and turned facing towards the crowd seeing the top of a tall head making its way through. Merida gulped and clung to another girls hand as she saw the color of the hair on that head. The girl tried to loosen Merida's grip, but Merida squeezed her hand tighter as she began to feel dizzy. Then two men closest to them parted ways and Merida gasped.

Was it him? She wandered looking at the tall, dark haired man. The features were all correct, but the appearance was all wrong. His straight silken locks were pulled back into a low ponytail and his face was shaven making him look about six years younger. He was dressed in a cream colored shirt with a charcoal wool inar over and black boots. He had a black mantle draped across his body with a gold pendant holding it to his shoulder and gold belt at his waist. He looked beyond handsome in that moment. He looked godlike.

"Merida." He smiled.

"Morrr…" She stopped herself quickly, "Ummm… "Dùghall?"

"Aye. I dona clean up so bad now do I?" He chuckled.

Merida felt her face grow pale and she made her way back to her throne quickly. With her whole body shaking she took a seat and rested her forehead to her hand. She thought she was seeing things, but as she looked up he was still there and now he was kneeled in front of both her parents.

"Who is this Merida?" Fergus asked in displeased tone.

Merida stared at her parents with her mouth open not knowing what to say, but Mor'du soon finished for her. "My King and Queen. I apologize for my uninvited presence, but I had to make myself known to ye. My name is Dùghall. I am the descendant of King Drest and.."

"Mor'du!" Fergus hissed.

Merida gulped and felt she was on the verge of fainting as her father snarled down at her lover. Mor'du lifted head and finished, "Aye, and the descendant of Mor'du. Though I do not wish for my right as King I do ask for my right to become suitor to yer daughter Princess Merida."

"Ye wish to become our daughter's suitor?" Elinor barked.

"Aye, for I love her more than my own life." Mor'du said without hesitation.

Everyone in the room gasped. Fergus's rage was bubbling and it was very apparent. He quickly jumped down from his throne, pulled out his sword, and went to attack. Mor'du being a natural warrior quickly looked around the room and seeing a claymore hanging on the wall and quickly ran to it pulling it down. The two swords struck and for once Fergus found himself staring eyes to eyes with his opponent rather than looking down.

"Yer highness," Mor'du said through gritted teeth, "I do na wish to battle ye." He pushed the King off him.

Fergus again charged and met swords against the sturdy young man. "That's too bad because that's what yer goin to get."

"Da!" Merida cried out now standing, "Stop this right now. Both ye!"

"Merida?" Elinor questioned seeing the look of devotion she gave the man.

Fergus shot his head up seeing Merida on the verge of tears. He backed away from the lad with eyes of warning and waited to hear whatever it was Merida was preparing to say. "Mum… da… this man saved me …" Merida tried to come up with a quick story, "he saved me when I almost drowned at the springs at the end of summer. I umm… slipped on the rocks and hit my head. He… pulled me out of the water and I've been engaged to him secretly since."

The room again gasped, some of the men grumbled leaving, while others began to argue. Then Lord Robert stepped forward and gestured for the room to quiet. "If he does wish to be her suitor than he needs to earn that right."

"Aye!" The room echoed in agreeance.

"Jesus." Merida cursed sitting back down on her throne in horror.

"Merida!" Elinor scolded at her choice of words.

"I think it's one of those times where ye can allow it mum."

"I say we have another highland games to compete for the right to marry Merida." Young Macintosh yelled out. Merida narrowed her eyes at him knowing full and well that his intentions we not to win her hand, but just to show off.

"No!" Merida stomped.

"Agreed." Shouted Mor'du back. "Whatever it takes."

"No!" Merida again cried out.

Fergus approached his daughter with a look of consideration and maybe a little disappointed. She huffed air out her nose and crossed her arms looking away from him. "Lass," Fergus started, "Do ye really love this lad?"

Merida looked at Mor'du seeing his waiting face and she smiled at him, "Aye. Enough to marry him and be with him the rest of my life."

"Then …" Fergus said shaking his head in disbelief, "That's enough for me."

"What!" Someone yelled.

"That's my final decision!" Fergus yelled back. "I have enough faith in my daughter to make the right choice and I trust her. I didna once and I almost killed my own wife not listening to her. This time … I'll believe her when she says she loves him, even if he is the descendant of the devil bear." Fergus said spitting on the ground. "and it's very evident he is just by lookin at him."

Mor'du made a mental note that above all he needed to never tell the truth of his real identity and to make sure Merida never mentioned it either because he was sure that King Fergus would gut him and turn him inside out if he knew who he really was. "Yer highness," Mor'du kneeled, "I humbly thank ye and to show my loyalty to ye I present ye, the true king, with the ring once worn by King Drest." He held it out to Fergus.

Fergus grabbed the ring from Mor'du's grasp and held it in his palm refusing to put it on at that moment. Fergus instead placed it in his pocket, walked over to a table, found a full pint of beer, knocked it back, refilled it and knocked it back. He belched feeling much better and turned to look at all the angry eyes in the room. "I'll ask ye all to leave now, so that I may properly get to know the man my daughter intends to marry."

Lord Robert, still bitter, walked up to Merida and snarled, "I'll be taking back that present I gave you."

"Pardon!" Elinor gasped.

"I'll be taking back that dress." He seethed holding out his hand as though he expected Merida to strip it off her body.

Before anything else could be said he felt a hand on his shoulder grasp him and spin him around. The next thing Lord Robert saw was a large fist heading towards his face and then he went out black. Mor'du, who had forgotten that he'd broken his knuckle on a tree the previous day, groaned loudly and held onto it.

"Did his face break yer hand?" Fergus smirked.

"No yer highness. A tree broke my hand yesterday. I jest seemed to forget until it met with his face."

Fergus couldn't hold back and began laughing uncontrollably. "I might like ye after all." He said trying to calm his laughter and looking down at the now bloodied Lord Robert. He summoned for a guard to come over and then nudging Lord Robert with his foot he instructed, "Get rid of this waste."

Merida made her way down from her throne and to Mor'du. She gently grabbed his wrist and looked at his purple hand. "What did ye do to it yesterday?"

"I felt vary angered by this lass refusing me and I picked a fight with a tree. It won." He said wincing in pain.

Fergus again found himself chuckling and walked away to find more beer. Elinor elegantly approached Merida and her suitor. She looked Mor'du up and down and he quickly went to his knee. "Yer highness. I hope to be granted yer blessin to marry yer daughter."

Elinor summoned him to stand and looked him over. She tried to suppress her smile as she could see why Merida was so in love with him. He was very easy on the eyes and had a sharp wit. "Merida, ye should take Dùghall to Maudie and have her reset his hand. Maybe we could discuss my blessing at a more appropriate time."

"Aye yer highness." Mor'du bowed.

"Come on." Merida sighed grabbing his arm to lead him to the kitchen. As they rounded the corner Merida pulled out a horn flask. "Here this will make ye feel better."

"I dona think so, the last time I drank from one of those I turned into a bear."

"I'm not a witch!" Merida hissed.

"That's questionable." He teased.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "It's uisge beatha. Yell need it."

"So… are ye angry with me?" He asked.

"Aye, vary." She sighed.

"I think I can accept that." He smiled leaning in to breath in the scent of her beautiful hair. "Yer vary lovely in that dress. I do have to admit I was slightly tempted to see if yed actually remove it, but I couldna have that arse talkin to my lass that way."

"Mor… I mean … Dùghall!" She scolded. She then scolded herself. "Oh I got to be more careful with yer name. My dad would rip yer heart out of yer chest if he knew the truth."

"Aye, and that was a good story Mo gradh." He praised pulling her further around the dark corner. He pushed her up against the wall and leaned down giving her a kiss unlike any of their previous. It was full of heat, hunger and some of his left over aggression from his fight earlier. Merida moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck melting into his lips. He growled and wrapped his good arm around her back pulling her flush to him. He devilishly licked her lips and nibbled at them before pulling away.

"What was that?" She panted.

"A taste of what's to come on our wedding night." He whispered in her ear in a husky voice. He then held out his arm. "Come on lass. Bring me to this Maudie while the effects of this drink are still in my system."


	9. Bairns

Chapter 9. Bairns

While waiting for Maudie to find bandages Merida was called into the next room by her mother. Merida discussed what she could with her mother on the evenings events. She also explained how ... Dùghall had been living years without shelter in the highlands in hopes her mother would agree to allow him to stay. What she didn't explain is that it was 400 years in the highlands and most of those were spent as a bear, but some minor details just needed to be kept from her parents.

"Have ye and him umm… consummated already?" Elinor asked Merida as Maudie set his hand in the next room.

"No mum." Merida blushed.

Elinor exhaled, "Oh … that's a relief."

They both then heard the sound of bones cracking into place and a grunt of pain. "Sounds like Maudie is done with him." Merida observed, her own face wrinkled up in pain from just hearing it.

"He took it rather well." Elinor said surprised. "Alright, go tend to yer man, but send Maudie to speak with me." She instructed.

Merida went to Mor'du who was nursing on uisge beatha and quickly becoming drunk. With heavy lidded eyes he gazed at her with a forced grin. She gently stroked his forearm trying to offer some comfort to his pain, the pain that had been brought about twice by her. Maudie came back in the room and stood at the door clearing her throat. "Follow me." She instructed.

They followed the stout maid up the stairs and to a guest room. Merida wanted to give him a proper good night kiss like she had all those nights in the woods, but with Maudie watching it wasn't possible. Instead she leaned up and quickly gave him a kiss. His good hand reached out and gently rubbed her cheek. "I'll see ye in the mornin." He winked.

Merida blushed and slowly closed the door. As she turned she saw that Maudie was dangling keys at the end of her finger. Merida gawked at the maid, "Yer goin to lock him in there?"

"Aye, as instructed." Maudie said pushing in and turning the key.

Merida's mouth hung open. "Is he a prisoner then?"

Maudie chuckled. "Prisoners are na kept in the guest room. Beside, I dona have to explain the reasonin behind this. Ye know why."

Merida didn't know how to argue back. Instead she just rolled her eyes and went back to her own room. She laid in bed feeling as though her heart would explode out of her chest. She'd been ran through every possible emotion she could ever experience in such a short amount of time and now she found herself sleeping under the same roof as her suitor, except sleep was hard to find. She wasn't full of lusty feelings as she had felt the previous night, but that of anxiety. She hated that she felt so nervous about the prospect of marriage, especially since it was to the man she was destined to be with but no matter how many times she tried to tell herself she was being silly, the feeling wouldn't shake.

The next few days were awkward and not just because of her anxieties. Being at a table with her mother, father, three brothers and now Mor'du made her appetite disappear as nerves plagued her body. Mor'du would stared at her with love sick wanting eyes, her father would glare at Mor'du, Mor'du would shrug upon noticing King Fergus's glare, act like he hadn't been eyeing Merida and would go back to eating. Meanwhile Elinor was watching every reaction of Merida's, how she played with her food, not eating it, how she bit into her lip, how her posture suggested she was on the edge of her emotions, and how she avoided eye contact with everyone, even her suitor. To make matters worse, Harris, Hubert and Hamish had some how honed in on Mor'du's warrior structure and were full of all sorts of inappropriate questions.

"So Dùghall… have ye ever killed a man?" Hamish asked.

Merida instantly spit out her drink. "Hamish!"

Mor'du laughed finding amusement both in the question and Merida's reaction, but as he looked around the table he saw the King narrowed cynical eyes waiting to hear the answer, the three boys sitting on the edge of their seats waiting, and the queen looking at her three sons with distaste. Merida, who had seemed anxious the whole morning, had crossed her arms on the table and hid her head as though she couldn't handle anymore.

Mor'du feeling less amused and more awkward tried to come up with an answer. He'd practiced a story in his head the previous night, but now he was having a hard time recalling it. "Does it look like I've ever killed a man?" He finally answered back with Hamish's own question.

"Aye." Hamish said shaking his head.

"Umm… well…" Mor'du struggled, "I have, but only by necessity." This may have been the biggest lie he'd ever told. He quickly shoved food into his mouth in hopes that would be the end the subject.

"In a battle?" Harris asked.

Again all eyes, except Merida's, were on him. He took a deep breath, a sip of wine, and decided to make an attempt with his tweaked history. "So… my mother died when I was very young and before she died she told me who I was descended from," This part was true, "She then gave me the ring that I gave yer father, the ring of King Drest and told me there would be a day that I would someday prove myself," This too was true. "I wandered the highlands for many years until one day I was captured by the … french." This was somewhat accurate. He'd actually been captured by the gauls during battle, "I spent a year in France as a prisoner, but I managed to escape and I did end a few lives in order to gain my freedom," it was more than a few, "I managed to escape and got on a ship back to Scotland," He actually stole the ship. "I then returned back to a nomadic life living off the land," He almost chuckled at this being that he was the ultimate nomad.. a bear, "and then one day I found a girl this redhaired lass half drowned, scooped her out of the water and… here I am." That part was technically not his lie, but Merida's.

He looked around the table drinking the rest of his wine in one gulp. The queen seemed intrigued, the King looked skeptical, but Mor'du knew regardless of what he said Fergus would look at him that way, and the boys looked excited about all parts except the last which they made them contorted their faces in disgust. Merida, however, had looked up from the hideaway of her arms and seemed as though she would burst into laughter at any moment, especially when he had mentioned his nomadic life. He was relieved to see that side of her again. She'd been distant since the night of her birthday, but this was more of the last he'd remembered from the woods.

"So… when did ye want to have the weddin Merida?" Elinor asked.

Merida's eyes grew huge, "Mum, I just announced him as my suitor a few days ago. Yer bein rather hasty."

"I dona think so." Mor'du disagreed. "I'd say the sooner the better." He grinned mischievously.

Merida narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine. Ye should plan the weddin with my mum." She said coldly and biting into her food aggressively. Everyone stared at her in shock. She wasn't acting like the eager bride at all.

"Merida, are ye still doubtin my intentions?" Mor'du asked reaching for her hand.

"No." She admitted with a sigh, "I jest… emmm.. I dona feel like talkin about all this infront of my family."

"Why not?" Fergus asked with his mouth full.

"It's jest that… I dona want anyone to be offended." She said quietly and now feeling pressured

"Yer afraid of losin yer freedom." Elinor stated knowing her daughter better than anyone. Merida shook her head ashamed and the room went dead silent. Elinor looked at her sons, "Boys, yer excused."

"But why?" Harris asked.

"Because I said so." Elinor said calmly, but her eyes spoke differently.

The boys sulked off and Merida found herself at the table with her parents and Mor'du watching her with searching concerned eyes. "What freedom's do ye think yell loose Merida?" Fergus finally piped in as no one else seemed to know what to say.

"Well after marriage I'll officially be next in line…" She looked around as though that should have been enough of an explanation, but their expressions still waited. She sighed, "I'll probably lose some of my privileges such as takin to the highlands on Angus whenever I want and I'll have to be more ladylike in public…. I'll be in public more around people that expect me to be like mum and I willna be. That and…" She hesitated, "I know with marriage comes children and … I'll be a horrible mum. I canna even take care of myself most of the time." She felt tears form in her eyes, but she choked them back.

"I dona expect children out of ye Merida. That's na why I'm marryin ye. I just want to be with ye. If ye decide ye want to have children with me someday then we will. I'm willin to do whatever it takes to be with ye." Mor'du said pulling her hand to his lips for a kiss.

"No ones expecting ye to be like me Merida. Yev already proved yerself as a strong independent lass who speaks her mind. I think the whole kingdom knows that by now." Elinor smiled.

"Beside we already have babies covered for the time bein. I dona think I can take more than one in the castle again." Fergus chuckled and shook his head. "The boys as babies nearly broke me and I dona break easily."

"Ye have babies covered?" Mor'du questioned Fergus confused.

"Oh," Merida said rolling her eyes, "I must have forgotten to tell ye. My mother is pregnant."

Mor'du smiled up at the queen and king, "Congratulations."

"It was a bit of a surprise." Elinor admitted with a blushed. "But I think it's na Merida's favorite subject at the time."

"That's not true. I'm excited for ye and da." She admitted. "I jest think it's odd that I'll have children close in age to my new brother or sister."

"It's normal amongst the commoners." Elinor pointed out. "but I think if yer careful ye willna have to worry havin children for a long time. We didna have yer brothers until nine years after ye and that was no mistake. There's ways to listen to the body, but well talk more on that before yer weddin night."

"This conversation is goin in directions I'd prefer na to." Merida said feeling her face grow hot. "So," She took a deep breath, "this wee talk has smoothed out some of my concerns and I'd like to go back to what we were originally talkin about, my wedding date."

Everyone's face lit up around her, especially that of Mor'du who looked as though he wanted to pull her to his lap, but instead he seemed content enough to just squeeze her hand. "We can wait as long as ye need. I'll be here." He reassured.

She gave herself a second to think it over before answering. "Sometime after the baby's born. I dona want mum missin out on my big day."

"Why na Beltane?" Elinor suggested.

Fergus arched his brow at his wife, "Really Elinor. I know yer family kept to their old ways, but … Beltane?"

"It's perfect. It's the celebration of new love." Elinor said excitedly. "and it would be almost two months after the baby was born."

"I have to agree that beltane would be perfect. My family also kept to their old ways." Mor'du said tryin to make eye contact with Merida who seemed out of her elements with the subject.

"Fine. Beltane then." She huffed, but as her eyes met Mor'du's she saw that he was truly happy and she knew that most of his life and extended life he'd felt miserable. Slowly her face turned into a smile that matched his own. Their hearts were connected and she wouldn't deny either of them happiness any longer.

Over the next few months the weather grew colder and snow covered the highlands. Most of life during those months was spent around the hearth listening to King Fergus's war stories. Mor'du was intrigued listening to Fergus on his battle strategies and secretly comparing them to his own. The only story that made Mor'du's stomach turn was the day Fergus told him the story of how he lost his leg to the demon bear Mor'du. Mor'du, who had been a ruthless warrior, always managed to remain expressionless in the eyes of his enemies, but now he was finding it difficult to keep eye contact with the king.

"I like ye lad, but had I been given the chance I would have slit the throat of that devil descendant of yers." Fergus growled pulling out his sword and slashing it at the air.

"Hehehe…" Merida laughed nervously, "Alright da. That's enough. Yer goin to make him as sick of the story as us."

Aside from Fergus's stories, Mor'du found himself quite content. He was able to view his lass throughout the day and was able steal a few moments with her when she wasn't being watched by her family or Maudie. He'd whisk her off into the corner and attack her with kisses from her lips to her jaw and down her neck. Sometimes, depending on what she was wearing, he could even nibble on the top flesh of her bosom. It was becoming difficult to restrain his need for her. He could tell she felt the same as she clung to him and groaned in frustration when he pulled away from her. Spring couldn't come soon enough.

When he wasn't busy hearing Fergus's stories or waiting for a perfect opportunity to secretly ravage his fiance, he found himself being dragged off by three mischievous 10 year old boys. They'd make him spar with him, they'd show him their secret hideouts throughout the castle, and they'd force him to participate in their mischief, such as tying the guards legs together when they fell asleep, or stealing food from the kitchen. To Mor'du it was like reliving his childhood with his brothers, which left him feeling depressed at times with the realization that he'd never be able to correct the mistakes of his past. Other times, he just appreciated the fact that he was getting a second chance to be a brother again and just found enjoyment in connecting with his soon to be brother-in-laws.

As Spring approached the castle was buzzing with baby and wedding talk. Merida, who couldn't care about the wedding details, left them to her mother. It was an early March day when her extremely swollen mother arrived waddling to her room with Fiona carrying a dress once again. This dress, however, was not red, but ivory.

"So…" Elinor grunted slowly sitting her pregnant self down in a chair. She panted exasperated from her efforts. "Fiona will be helpin ye with yer fittin today. I followed yer instructions on keepin the dress simple, but there are some details I hope ye appreciate."

Merida shrugged and held out her arms in preparation of being dressed. She felt gentle silk being pulled over her head and surprisingly, it felt as comfortable as the velvets she usually wore. It was long and flowing with a long train and just as she had hoped it was very simple. The neckline was modestly cut just below the collarbone with gold knotted embroidery. Fiona laced up the back of her dress with golden ribbon and then took out a gold knotted belt of the same design and placed it around her waist. The sleeves were semi sheer and widen moving down to the wrist with the same golden embroidered knots at the edge.

Though Merida hadn't been involved, by choice, with the wedding plans she felt her mother had read her mind when in came to what she was wanting for in a wedding dress. As Fiona placed her in front of the mirror Merida stole her mother's words as she whispered, "It's perfect."

"Oh good." Elinor said attempting to stand on her own, but it wasn't possible. Fiona then turned to assist Elinor slowly helping her to her feet. Elinor waddled next to her daughter and sighed contently. "I believe this is the most beautiful dress I've ever seen ye in. It compliments ye in…. oowww…" Elinor said grabbing her stomach.

Merida turned giving her mother a bewildered look, "Mum?"

"emmm… ooohh!" Elinor again grabbed at her stomach.

"Mum!" Merida cried out seeing her mother's body was obviously preparing for birth.

"My queen!" Fiona gasped quickly supporting Elinor by the arm.

"Jest take me to my chambers." Elinor moaned.

Merida was still in her wedding dress unable to follow and she found herself in a panic to get it off, but it was laced up at the back. She turned her back to the mirror and reached over trying to reach, but the back of the dress was just out of reach. "Come on!" She shouted at herself. "Come on!"

"Are ye alright Merida?" She heard a deep masculine voice ask on the other side of the door.

"No!" She grumbled. "Mum's in labor and I'm stuck in this … DRESS!"

"I'll get Fiona." Said the voice now recognizable as Mor'du's.

"She's with my mum." Merida wined. "What if I cracked the door just enough for ye to undo the laces for me?"

Mor'du gulped. "I'd love to."

Very carefully Merida cracked open the door just enough not to reveal herself and placed her back up against the opening masking the majority of her dress. She lifted her hair and pulled it over her shoulder so that he'd be able to access the ribbons. She felt him slowly run his hands over the exposed skin of her neck, down to the collar, and then he went to work unlacing the dress.

"Yer takin yer time." She impatiently wined.

"It's na everyday that I get an opprtunity quite like this one." He said pulling the back open and placing kisses all over her exposed back.

"Mor'du!" She scolded in a whisper. "We dona have time for this."

Flustered she pushed him away and closed the door. She quickly removed her dress and pulled on her blue velvet one. She shoved the wedding dress in a chest at the foot of her bed and made her way past the door of her room. Mor'du was waiting for her, his back rested up against the wall, and giving her a wicked grin. As she went to walk past him he pulled her into him kissing her lips and neck wildly. She squirmed free and looked at him frustrated.

"From what I can see it's a vary beautiful dress, but I think yell look even better out of it." He teased running his hands up her waist over over the side of her breast.

"Stop it ye heathen!" She said slapping his hands away. "My mum is in labor. I dona have time for… this!" She then dashed away hearing him chuckling behind her.

Her emotions were confused to say the least. She was now aroused from Mor'du's kisses on her exposed flesh, worried for her mother, and excited about her new sibling. She quickly made her way to her mother's chambers where her mother had been stripped and placed under a thin blanket.

"Mum." She smiled sitting next to her mother who seemed consumed with the effects of labor.

"Merida, ye may not…" groan, "want to be in here. This is na the most beautiful sight despite what ye may hear. Ye may never want to have children after," grunt, "seein labor."

"No. I'm goin to stay with ye." Merida said giving her mother a reassured smile while holding her hand.

She found that her mother was right. All the composure and elegance that Elinor always maintained was out the window. Contractions must have been the worse pain in the world, Merida decided watching her mother's face contort in ways she'd never seen. If that didn't give it away then the numbness of Merida's hand, from being squeezed, did.

As the labor progressed her mother began muttering words in her family's ancient language. Her mother's people had maintained their pagan ways secretly even through the take over of Christianity. Their language was never spoken and Merida was only aware of a few words herself. Most of the words her mother spit out were foreign to her, but it was apparent they weren't very nice words. She stared in shock as her mother began pushing and screaming.

"Sounds like it's time to break out the barrels!" Her father shouted from the dining room below.

"Break out the barrels? I'll break the barrels over yer head!" Her mother screamed.

It grew very quiet on the main floor after that and it was apparent her father got the hint to shut it. The screams turned into tears as Maudie instructed her mother on the last few pushes and Merida saw a red mucus covered lump removed from her mother. "Jesus, is that the baby?"

"Aye." Maudie laughed. "They all look this way at first." Maudie then took the little ball of flesh to a washing basin and proceeded to wash and fluff it up into a baby while Fiona tended to her mother. After sometime Maudie finally wrapped the baby and turned to present it to the queen.

"Yev done it again yer highness. Another bouncing baby boy." She then carefully laid the baby in Elinor's arms.

"Oh wow mum. He's gorgeous." Merida smiled looking at her new baby brother who had auburn curls all around his head and a round little face just like her brothers.

King Fergus heard the announcement from below and came rushing up. He smiled gently moving closer to Elinor and the baby. "Ye did beautifully my dear. I only heard ye sware five times."

"Fergus!" Elinor scoffed.

He chuckled and looked down at his new son, "He's bonnie. I think this one looks more like you Eli."

"He looks like my father." She pointed out.

"Oh here we go." Fergus rolled his eyes.

"Come on now. Ye wouldna let me name the boys after him. Let me name this one after him." Elinor batted her eyes.

"Fine." Fergus sighed. "Hendry it tis."

After some time of Elinor and Fergus handing their new son back and forth, Elinor looked at Merida and asked, "Do ye want to hold yer new brother?"

Merida shook her head and took the round little ball in her arms. Considering how nasty he was just hours prior he had fluffed up beautifully. As her father pointed out he did favor her mother's side with his hair a little darker than the rest of them and his skin tone was more of a light olive rather than a pale pink like her and her brothers. She leaned down to kiss his full cheeks and she caught the smell. It was the smell that every new baby had, that powdery sweetness that would turn even the bitterest of old hags into a matron. Merida felt the effects of scent play with her mind and it seemed to melt her fears of having babies away.

She began to wonder what her children with Mor'du would look like and what it would be like to share the same special moment that her parents were experiencing. She wondered what it would feel like to have the stirring of a child in your stomach and knowing that the child was part you and part your lover. She found herself quickly warming to the idea.

"Can I bring him down to show everyone?" Merida asked.

"Aye. Of course." Elinor smiled.

Merida slowly made her way down the stairs where her brothers and Mor'du were waiting. "We have a new baby brother." She smiled.

Her brothers all cheered excitedly and drew near. "He looks like mum." Hubert pointed out.

"Aye." Merida agreed. "He's a wee darker than us."

"He's goin to be a big lad like yer da though." Mor'du pointed out looking over Merida's shoulder and placing his hands at her waist.

"A proper highland lad." She agreed.

After a few moments of the group studying him and staring at him in awe Merida finally brought him back to her mother who was now laying on fresh blankets and wearing a robe. She handed the hungry baby off to her mother and went to find Mor'du. She found him sitting on the castle stairs staring off at the greening mountains with his black cloak whipping around him due to the cold winds. He was completely unaware of her as she approached, but he quickly turned in a defensive reaction when he heard her footing behind him.

He relaxed as he saw it was Merida. "Sorry Mo gradh. I'm not the best person to sneak up on."

"I'll remember that." She smiled joining him on the stair. She cuddled under his cloak, wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled to his chest.

He pulled her in closer to him and wrapped the cloak further around the both of them. They both remained silently holding each other as the bagpipes began to play from the top of the castle in celebration of her new baby brother. With his nose buried in her red curls he sighed, "I'm glad Spring is almost here."


	10. Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is chapter is adults only

Chapter 10. Wedding

Spring came and what was once snow covered mountains was now blindly green. The trickle of springs and the gush of waterfalls could be heard mixed with the tweeting of birds. Merida, as per every spring, felt as though her blood was pulsing stronger and like she'd go flying off into the air. Her eyes were brighter and her feelings swirled in dangerous directions. Mor'du found himself unable to look away as he noticed her new energy.

Even their kisses had changed. She'd lost much of her previous shyness and was much more aggressive during their moments when they managed to sneak away. The day before the wedding was the hardest trial for both as Merida had pulled Mor'du into the barn for a private moment in the hay. He'd been more careful as of lately being that she looked as him so hungrily and as he bent to kiss her gently he was soon met with eager lips. Then her daring tongue lick his lips, nibbled his jaw, his neck, and she began panting like the horses behind them. She then dragged him down into a laying position and climbed him like a tree.

His own breath grew heavy and heated and oh how he ached. He then lost himself kissing her back with fever and grabbing onto to waist, breast and thighs not knowing where to stop. His tongue found her neck and she cried out as his hands had moved further to the inside of her thigh than he intended. He sat up pushing her off him and stood facing away from her being very obvious in his need.

"We only have one more day." He growled.

"I know, so jest have me now." She begged with a struggling breath.

"Yer impossible lass." He chuckled turning to see she looked like a feral creature with hay stuck in her hair and staring up at him with greedy eyes. He sighed feeling pulled to do what was right or to just give into his feelings which very much matched her own. Instead he groaned and walked away. As he left the barn he heard her growl, kick something and then she too came marching out frustrated.

The morning of the wedding Merida bolted up out of bed for no known reason and felt as though her heart would explode. Her breath was strangled and she felt her pulse in her wrist would burst. At first she was confused, she didn't wake to a noise and she was in the room alone, but realization hit her like a slap to the face. It was her wedding day. A panic she didn't understand soon took over. She started wondering how she could escape the castle without being seen, get to Angus and runaway. She almost began tying blankets together to make a rope that she could fling out the window, but then her mother came bursting into her room singing a song about spring lovers and caring her wedding dress.

She stopped singing as soon as she saw Merida. "Dear, are ye alright? Ye look as though yed seen a ghost?"

Merida blinked at her frantically and then began to hyperventilate. "I'm... sorry mum. I thought ...I was over this."

"Me too." Elinor said surprised. "Jest … sit for a moment and tell me where yer thoughts are."

"Well… emm… I'm gettin married and … I'm not goin to be jest Merida anymore. I'll be someone's wife and I'm worried about… not bein a maiden anymore." She said turning quite red.

"Oh." Elinor said letting out an uncontrolled snort. "the first time is a bit … I dona want to say scary, but love making isna always pleasant at first. Sometimes it's vary painful especially if yer partner is large, but after that first time yell find it's something that yer body craves. I'm sure yev already been feelin those cravings already."

"Mum!" Merida gasped horrified by the conversation. "I dona feel like havin these discussions with ye."

"Well, we're going to have it." Elinor said sitting next to her daughter. Merida cringed as her mother went into details about the female body, how to tell when you're most fertile, what a man's anatomy looked like and the basics of what the wedding night would entail.

"I canna say I feel better mum, but I dona feel as nervous, so… thank you?" She said with her face still scrunched up from the conversation.

Elinor shrugged, "Let's get ye dressed."

As requested by Merida the wedding was to be held outside under the trees on a hill top just outside the castle, the only guest where people from the castle and villagers, no outsiders from the other clans, and everything was kept simple. Mor'du waited in his usual dark clothing despite being offered her father's clan tartans. He told the king he was honored by the offer, but that he'd leave the tartan wearing to those more worthy. Fergus gave him a great argument over it, but in the end Mor'du won out being that it was his wedding day.

The small crowd chattered as everyone waited for the princess to show. Mor'du was growing nervous knowing Merida's fears, but slowly the crowd grew quiet and a few voices in awe could be heard. As the crowd parted he looked up at saw his goddess approaching. A sharp inhale was all he could manage as she walked closer and closer. He'd imagined what the dress would have looked like from the small amount he saw through the crack of the door, but seeing her fully in it was like nothing he could have dreamed up. Though it was modest it clung to her perfectly matured figure in a way that brought attention her womanly curves. The ivory complimented her pale pink skin and the gold embroidery brought out the highlights of her red hair.

Her hair was more beautiful than he'd ever seen it. He loved her wild curls, but it was a pleasant change to see it brushed into large curls all around except for a few strands that were braided away from her face and tucked into a wreath of blue bells that brought out the color of her bright eyes. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips seemed lightly stained in a rosey pink making her appear as perfect as any bride had ever looked in the kingdom.

As her father placed her hands in Mor'du's he finally found himself able to exhale. "I'd say ye look bonnie lass, but that doesna seem to be fitting. I've never seen a sight more beautiful in my life."

"Thank you… Dùghall." She smiled.

"Wasna sure ye were goin to show." He whispered.

"I was quite nervous, but now that I'm here everything just seems as it should be. It's where I belong, with ye." She beamed honestly.

The service was a short one as everyone was eager to get started with the celebration. Being that it was Beltane it was a double celebration and the new couple started it off with their walk around the bonfire. Soon music was playing, people were drinking, and laughter echoed through the night. Mor'du enjoyed a few dances with his wife before sneaking off to have a quick drink with his new father in law.

"Ye better slow down lad." Fergus joked. "It tis yer wedding night."

The other men around them all laughed and patted Mor'du on the back with winks. That's when Mor'du started looking around curiously. "Where is that wife of mine anyways?"

"The maids have taken her to the bridal chamber." Elinor impishly smirked passing by.

All the men cheered Mor'du on as he made his way back to the castle. He wasn't a man that blushed … ever, but he found himself laughing as they made a good attempt at trying to embarrass him. He approached the room where they would spend their wedding night and took a deep breath before entering.

He walked in to find Maudie and Fiona pulling off Merida's wedding dress. As they heard him enter they quickly turned to bow to him. "Now who said ye had permission to undress my wife. That's my job now." He teased with a large grin. "Out with ye."

Maudie and Fiona blushed and began to laugh as they left the bridal chambers. Merida gawked over her shoulders less than impressed with Mor'du's behavior and he smiled wickedly at her as he approached her back. "Was that necessary?" She asked.

"Aye." He practically growled pulling her back tight against his chest. She gasped as his hands ran up her stomach and groped at her breast.

"Mor..." He cut her off as he leaned over her shoulder pushing his lips into hers and felt him suck her bottom lip in between his. She found herself soon forgiving his previous words with the maids and her own needs began to stir. He moved onto her ear nibbling her lobes and suckling his way down her neck and shoulders. She felt a slight moan escape her lips as his wet kisses found their way down her shoulder blades.

He pulled away for a moment to observe the strange undergarment that had not been removed. He could see it was too tight for him to just lift off her and that he'd have to undo the ties that ran from her shoulder blades to her bottom, but he wasn't in the mood to be patient. A wicked smirk covered his face as he reached the top of the garment with a firm grip and ripped it apart.

Merida jumped and turned around still holding the garment to her front. She scrunched up her face annoyed that he'd just ruined one of her favorite chemise, but before she could scold him he quickly turned her back around by her shoulders. She felt large fingers under the straps, that were barely keeping it up, and peeled it slowly down her front.

She felt herself tremble as his wet kisses again found their way down her back, down the curve of her sides, his chin stubble tickling her hip, but her moans soon cut off by her own squeak when she felt a kiss on her bottom cheek. Then Mor'du did something unexpected. He pushed her back forward with his large hand, kneeled down and ran his tongue down the slit of her womanhood. Her reaction took a bad turn as her leg lifted and she kicked him solidly in the throat.

He fell back with a choked sound and mortified by her behavior she leapt up on the bed, threw the covers and pillow over her head in an attempt to hide. She scolded herself silently wondering why she did such a thing. Her husband would surely beat her for such behavior, but instead she heard him chuckle and then his chuckle turned into a deep hearty laugh.

"Yer laughin?" She asked nervously popping her head outside the blankets.

"It wasna the reaction I was hopin for." He replied in a complete mirth.

Merida frowned. "I jest didna expect … that."

He struggled to control his laughter and lifted himself off the ground. "I didna expect ye to kick me like a horse either. Maybe ye could tell me differently next time Merida."

"Well I wouldna act like a horse if ye quit actin like a great…" She was going to say bear, but he removed his black shirt and leather kilt with only a few pulls. She felt herself pushing her back up to the bed both in awe and in fear. Most men had to work at a muscular build, but it was evident that Mor'du was pretty much born big. She'd seen his battle built muscular arms, chest and torso plenty of times, but she'd never seen what happened under his robes he previously wore in the woods. She knew she was gawking, but she wasn't sure what else to do at that moment. Her mind went blank as she followed the pronounced v that ran from his hips, disappearing into dark curls and she gulped moving her eyes lower, "Umm… so how is this suppose to work?"

"Ye mean you dona know?" He questioned slowly approaching the bed with a curious smirk.

"No. I know how it works, but I'm not sure if … that's going to work with my umm… self." She stumbled through her words nervously.

He jumped on the bed and crawled up to her looking beastly with his dark golden eyes, low brow, and strands of black hair falling in front of his face. She was pushed down as he hovered over her. An excited grin began forming across her face and she raised her hand slowly running her fingers over his shoulders, tracing down his tattoo that ran over his muscular chest, and down to his firm abs. Before going down to territory she wasn't ready to explore yet she moved her hands back up to his hair. His hair was all loose in front of his face, dark, shiny, and she found her fingers couldn't hold back from the temptation.

He groaned as she stroked his hair back and in a husky voice finally answered her prior question, "I'll try to steady myself and be gentle." His hungry eyes argued differently. He again found himself pealing cloth away from her as he pulled back the blankets and crawled above her. She gulped, but before another thought of doubt filled her mind she felt his arms sweep under her back, his hands tangled in her hair and he pulled her up for a passionate kiss.

His lips were truly amazing with just a slight fullness to provide cushion to her own, yet they were so smooth. They completely contrasted with the rest of him which was all firm and roughness. She felt the tension vanish as his tongue met hers and as the kiss deepened so did his grip on her. His body pressed against hers offering a new sensation she hadn't experienced. That warmth and tingle that she'd felt so often before when they kissed and caressed where now turning into a throb. His hands only seemed to make it worse as he caressed down her breast.

His lips became frantic as he kissed down her neck and collarbone. She was certain she would stop breathing and her breath soon stopped as she felt the bristle of his chin stubble tickle her breast. Gentle kisses soon followed and continued. She wanted more, but his kisses continued to tease around her breast. He looked up waiting for her to take notice and finally she looked down with a little wine. He quietly gave a smooth chuckle before circling her nipples with his tongue. Her hands dug into bed and her eyes rolled back as his lips enclosed on the hardened bud pulling it into his mouth.

After sufficiently ravaging one breast he then gave the other side the same attention pulling more moans and gasp out of her lips. Her hands found his hair brushing it gently while pulling him into her. She felt she couldn't get enough of his lips on her breast, but that sensation was soon taken over by another. She had been so distracted that she didn't notice his hands caressing up her calf and to her thigh. As his fingers reached the inside of her thighs she began to notice and her breath grew into sharp inhales. She threw her head back as a large finger ran down the source of her throb and then slowly he began to stroke her.

"Thank ye for not kicking me this time." He breathed heavily into her ear.

"It's a bit different with yer face down there then your fingers." She panted.

He slowly traced his fingers up and down her and then he hit a place that made her cry out. He grinned mischievously and started to circle the hardened bump. "How so?" He whispered in her ear.

She barely heard him as she felt a spasm of her womanhood that sent her back arching and a whimper left her lips. "I uhhh… I ummm… it's just not sure I'd taste that pleasant." She finally got out.

Then she felt his large finger slip inside her while his thumb continued to caress that one area that was driving her insane. She groaned digging her nails into his shoulders. He smirked down at her pleased with her reaction. After a few strokes he pulled his finger out and brought it to his lips. Her eyes grew large with shock as he stuck his finger in his mouth. "Taste pleasant enough to me."

"Mor'du." She blushed.

He laughed. "Sorry. I'm not vary good at being the patient gentle husband to my innocent wife. "

"No yer not." Merida agreed trying to control the smirk that slowly formed on her face. She ran her hand over his chest and down his torso. "So I suppose that gives me the right to not act so innocent."

"Hmmm?" He questioned with an intrigued brow. She looked down at the obvious and he arched his brow. "Oh," He beamed, "Ye want a taste of me?"

"No ye brute!" She scolded quietly. Then she grew shy again. "I was just wonderin if maybe I could umm… touch it."

"I think that would be more than fine." He said in a husky breath grabbing her hand to guide it. He slowly brought it down to his stiffness and watched her face as her curious eyes met the place her fingers began to touch so gently. "Mo gradh." He hummed into her neck as her fingers wrapped around him.

She wasn't sure what to do after that, but as she brought her hand up to feel that unbelievably soft tip she heard him choke out a groan. She looked up in his eyes to see that they were barely open and his breathing was much like hers when he had… the upper hand. 'Must be doin somethin right,' She thought to herself. She again ran her palm softly up and down him feeling him twitch in her hand.

He grabbed her hand pulling it up to his lips and kissed her fingers so gently. Her eyes looked up at him confused, "Did I do it wrong?" She questioned.

He shook his head. "No. Ye were just doin it right. I'm afraid ye were about to end me."

"End ye?" She questioned.

He pounced back on top of her wrapping his strong arms around her. "I'll show ye and hopefully I'll end ye too."

She felt him spreading her legs with his own and all she could think of was her mother's words. 'Love making isna always pleasant at first. Sometimes it's vary painful especially if yer partner is large.' Merida felt the tension return back to her body as Mor'du lined himself up to her.

"Merida, are ye alright?" He asked looking down at her with concern in his eyes.

"Aye. I'm just nervous about … the pain." She admitted.

He ran his fingers over her cheeks and to a curl of her hair that fell in front of her eyes. "I wish I didna have to Mo gradh. I hate that it will hurt, but if ye want me to stop I will. I know I havena been vary controlled tonight, but I promise I will be now. I promise." He said placing a gentle kiss on her nose and then her lips.

She nodded her head. "I'm alright." She took a deep breath and grabbed onto his shoulders. "I want this."

"Get comfortable." He whispered in her ear trying to help her lose some tension. She did her best and slowly felt him entering her. It was not at all comfortable feeling herself being stretched to accommodate him. She was sure there was too much of him and that it would never work. She placed her head in the crevice of his neck and squeezed her eyes shut as he met something quite painful. He paused for a moment, whispering words of comfort in her ear. She felt his hands run down the backs of her thighs, stop at the knee with a solid grip and he gave a harsh push ripping through her. She cried out in his neck and as much as she fought back the tears they still sprung forward. "I'm sorry." He said again and again. She nodded her head still buried in his neck unable to answer.

His breath staggered as he hovered over her, running his hands through her curls, but he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold still. Slowly she began to lose some of her tension and he slowly pulled back just inches to push back in. She winced as he slowly pushed in and out of her, but soon the pain subsided. He reached between their bodies finding the hardened nub between her legs and as he massaged it she suddenly felt that needy throb return.

Her breathing grew into pants and she found herself now enjoying his thrust. She wrapped her legs tightly around him and he searched her eyes seeing that she was no longer in pain, but on her way to euphoria. She leaned up taking his lips into her own and he pulled her up on top of him as he kneeled on the bed. It was a good position bringing her flush against him as he held her up by her bottom and providing easier access to devour her breast. "Oooohhh, Mor'du." She moaned. He chuckled to himself feeling rather accomplished.

Nothing seemed enough for her after that. She pushed him away from her and before his thoughts grew into doubts she pushed him to his back and positioned herself on top of him. His eyes went wide with surprise and his mouth hung open. He decided he liked this position even better. He went to grab her hips, but she grabbed his hands and roughly put them above his head. He chuckled and growled in a deep voice, "Now there's my feisty redhead."

He wasn't sure if it was watching her move up and down on him, the way her head was tossed back, the way her bosom was pushed forward, or if it was that her hair looked extra wild as it fell around her, but he felt his own build. He disobeyed her unspoken orders and his fingers found their way back to her nub. Almost as soon as he touched it her face began to contort. His other hand went to her cheek rubbing his thumb along her bottom lip. She closed her lips around it biting down on it gently. "Merida." He groaned bucking up into her harder.

His fingers massaging her below and then his naughty behavior mixed with her own left her dizzy. She opened her mouth letting go of his thumb. With a gasp and then a cry she found that every nerve in her body sparked like the crackles of the bonfire. He felt her tightening around him, her body begging for her release and as she finally found hers he too let go. They walked into the flames of new love feeling the overwhelming heat eat them alive and stepped out reborn.

Merida laid on top of Mor'du tired and in shock. Her mother had not told her about that. As her breathing slowed she found herself once again able to think. She certainly hadn't expected lovemaking to lead to something so intense.

As Mor'du opened his eyes he saw Merida, very groggy and limp above him, but deep in thought. She felt his eyes on her and she smiled up at him snuggling into his chest. "umm… that bit that just happened… is that normal?"

He smiled rubbing her cheek. "Aye. I wouldna call it normal as it doesna always happen for woman the first time, but if I'm doin my part right it will happen each time."

"I like that." She chuckled. "It seems I'm officially yer wife now." She grinned running her fingers lazily over his arms and shoulders.

He ran his hand through her hair and bent down to sniff it. She smelt of harvest winds and spring water. He'd never get enough of that scent. "Aye. Yev always been mine, but now yell never be anyone elses." He placed a kiss on the top of her head and brought the blankets up around them. It had been more than 1000 nights since he had a decent nights sleep, but with his wife in his arms he found himself more relaxed than he'd ever been.


	11. Bonds

Chapter 11. Bonds

The next morning Merida woke with pains in muscles she didn't realize she had. She stretched out and felt something behind her. She blinked her sore eyes and her mind slowly cleared as she felt the strong flesh behind her. She quickly turned and found her large husband stretched out in bed, softly snoring. She felt a whisper of a giddy laugh leave her lips as she gazed upon him.

She thoroughly and shamelessly observed him in that moment. He was ridiculously rugged and manly. His long muscular arms were folded behind his head and the blanket draped between his thick long legs. His deep brown hair hung all around him in silken tangles, some strands falling in front of his face and his black lashes rest thickly on his strong cheekbones. His stubbled chin showed just enough of his sharp jaw line and his lips smooth and full all at once tempted her in ways that made her feel like she was sinning just staring at them.

She felt her breathing growing heavy and she wondered when the lustful feelings would pass. Her needs ached and hurt more than before. Now that she had a taste to what was behind her bodies desires she wanted Mor'du to take her again and again. She laid back on her pillow rolling her eyes in memory of the previous night. A caress here, she thought dragging her hand across her neck, a grab there, she remembered his hand wandering down her breast, and a tease everywhere below her belly button, she moaned running her hands lower in memory.

"Please continue." She heard a deep throaty voice plead.

She jumped nearly falling off the bed, but a large arm grabbed her scooping her up into his grasp. She then found herself facing the rather sleepy eyes of her husband. She looked at him with red cheeks and surprise. He didn't allow her to feel embarrassment for long as he pulled her lips to his own. She felt herself losing control much more quickly and Mor'du was obviously in need for more.

"Are ye hurtin badly?" He asked in a husky voice as ran his fingers down her neck and moved lower.

"Ummm… I … my body hurts and my thigh muscles are a wee tight." She admitted through pants, "But.. I jest dona care. I…" She felt his finger tease her below and then groaned loudly with want, "I.. ooohhh… please, jest take me again." She begged.

He didn't play around this time. He pulled her down and crawled on top of her. Without giving her a chance to back out he quickly found her entrance and with a solid shove he entered her. She hadn't realized how much pain she was in until he abruptly entered her. She cried out and grabbed onto his hair. "Merida, yer so …." He growled and continued his hard thrust. Though the rawness of the previous night was there, she still felt the extreme pleasure of him filling her. She felt he was more than enough yet she felt a stingy want for more as well. She itched and reached and finally she received her answer as Mor'du began to devour her neck and breast.

"These feelins... are torture." She hissed. "How do ye mmmm… satisfy them?"

"By doin this." He growled as he grabbed her up and worshipped her with his lips and hands.

They then continued to try to satisfy their needs again and again until they became quite exhausted, but as they lay there panting on the bed and looking at each other with wide eyes it became apparent that it would take many many many more tries before they found they finally had enough. She was very impressed with Mor'du's ability to read her body. He seemed very practiced in the art of love making.

"Have ye… done this many times before me?" She asked hesitantly as she had already assumed the answer.

His own hesitation gave her the answer she feared. He took a deep breath trying to think of the right words that would explain his wild past without making him sound despicable. He then looked at her with all the love he could put forth and answered. "I'm not a stranger to this, but … this is the first time it's been with someone I loved."

She felt a twinge of jealousy as thoughts of him with other women filled her head, but at the same time he was in his late 20s when he was changed into a bear and he was an attractive man. It wouldn't be fair to think he hadn't had his fair share of experience long before he knew her. Then another question fell from her lips that made him cringe. "How many?"

"Times or women?" He gulped asking for clarification in which he soon regretted.

She struggled to hold a straight face as she answered, "Women."

"What does it matter Merida? They dona matter. I dona remember any of them anyways. I was a bear for over 400 years and trust me when I say that it was the last thing on my mind during those years." He scoffed folding his arms.

"5?" She questioned. He didn't answer and continued to look up at the ceiling. "10?" She questioned further. Still no answer. "20?" She asked blinking at him shocked. He rolled his eyes and grumbled staring at her with a warning to stop. "Over 20!"

"Merida! Stop this. I already told ye, I dona remember." He huffed. He lay there for a moment slightly agitated by the subject, but then turned towards his hurt looking wife. "I'll tell ye this once and once only, but then ye have to promise me that yell never bring the subject up again."

"Alright." She whispered, her bottom lip sticking out as she felt sorry for herself.

"I was a vary aggressive young man who was always on the road. With aggression comes other strong feelins. My days were spent slicing up my enemies and I looked for comforts at night. Sometimes it was the drink other times it was the lasses. I regret my actions Merida. I was na the best of men, but had I been I would na end up with ye today. I've had many years to think over my actions and I hope to never be compared to what I once was, so … let's leave the past in the past." He then ran his finger under her chin pulling her chin up and meeting her eyes. "I vary much prefer my time now and no other woman could exist in my thoughts with ye there."

She kissed him back and then pulled away to shake her head in agreeance. "so… I know this tis na the best time to say this, but … I'm starvin." she admitted.

"Ye must have been readin my mind ye witch." He teased.

"Witch? Really Mor'du. Where did ye get these notions?" She said rolling her eyes and stood to heat some water in the fireplace for a quick wash up.

"Jest a silly theory I had about ye once." He grinned helping her pull out a small wooden tub that he knew he'd never be able to fit in. "We're goin to need more water if we both plan on bathin." He then stopped her from pulling it out any further. "I've got a better idea. Throw on a dress and well grab something from the kitchen to take with us."

"Take with us?" She asked confused.

"Aye, yell see." He responded with a naughty grin.

They quietly snuck through the castle, into the kitchen, slipped past the maids, grabbed some pastries and made their way out of the castle. Mor'du jumped up on Angus first and stopped Merida before she jumped up with him. "I think it would be best if ye rode a bit differently today mo gradh. I think yell find it much more comfortable…" He then pulled her up placing her bottom on his thigh and draping her legs across his lap, "Like this."

She was about refuse and have a bit of a temper tantrum when she realized why he had suggested the position. "Oh." She said as the scowl wiped off her face realizing that feeling a saddle between her legs wouldn't be the best of feelings. He grinned at her, wrapped his arms warmly around her and with the nudge of his feet he sent Angus racing away from the castle.

It felt liberating and magical as they rode through the highlands. The sun was just beginning to rise and a slight mist lifted from the lochs covering flower covered fields between the mountains. They rode through feeling as though they were discovering new lands even though they'd both knew the area better than most, but it was the fact that they were experiencing it together for the first time as one soul making everything seem new.

She couldn't believe this was the same brutal warrior of legend. He was so tender with her, gently running his fingers through her curls, planting soft kisses on her cheek, running his hands gently over stomach as he held her, and staring at her with an adoration that made her want to blush, even after their night together. She vowed she could never lose this man as he was now her heart and vital to her survival.

"Here we are." He smiled gently sliding her to the ground before jumping off himself.

She looked around at a very familiar sight and beamed, "It's the spring where ye tried to take advantage of me."

"It didna seem like ye were goin to deny me Merida." He remind her with one brow lifted and a cocky smile smeared across his face.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm a lady Mor'du. What are ye insinuating?"

"A lady now are ye?" He teased pulling her close. "Jest because ye had one night with a man doesna make ye anymore lady like."

She tried to make a shocked expression, but instead she fell into laughter. "Yer right. I can na be called a lady after what we did last night."

"Or this mornin." He reminded.

"Certainly na after this mornin." She agreed. She then walked over to Angus and pulled out the bag of pastries grabbing one out for herself and then throwing the bag to Mor'du. Silence fell over them for a moment as the sensation of hunger took over and they shoved food past their teeth. After they were done they laid out in the grasses on their stomachs, looking out at the loch watching little bugs busy themselves in the early spring morning. Then Mor'du stood and began removing his clothes. "What are ye doin?" Merida questioned.

"What does is look like I'm doin?" He questioned.

"Yer takin off all yer clothes, but for what reason I do na know." She stared at her naked husband whose brazen eyes stared back. He pulled her to her feet and began pulling up her dress. She pulled it back down and looked at him defiantly. "Ye canna just take off my dress whenever ye feel like it!"

He didn't say anything, but he still maintained his wicked grin as he looked her over. "I'll give ye one last chance lass. Are ye goin to take off yer dress or na?"

"No!" She said sticking out her chin and crossing her arms.

He seemed amused by this and soon she found out why as he threw her over his shoulder and began walking her into the water. "Mor'du! Ye will stop this right now!" She said kicking and punching trying to wiggle her way free. "Mor'du! Put me down right now!" and he did put her down, or more so threw her right into the loch. "Ahhh! Ye beast!" She screamed standing to her feet. She then proceeded to stomp back towards him, staring him down with rage in her eyes and pounded her fist into his arm.

He had to admit it stung more than he thought it would, but not by much. It was enough to make the smile vanish from his face for a second, but then he quickly fell back into the water with laughter. "I gave ye a fair chance mo gradh."

She didn't say anything, but sulked her way back to the grasses. She stood up on the land and then he watched as she slowly, with purposefully seduction, stripped off her dress. His laughter was cut off and his eyes lit up as he watched her walk to a tree, swaying her hips, hung her dress up and then ran diving into the water. She didn't emerge right away. In fact he was beginning to get worried. "Merida." He looked around to see if he could see her anywhere, but he couldn't even see bubbles. "Merida!" He called out louder and feeling a little more frantic. Then he felt a tap on his shoulder. As he turned a stream of water was spit right into his eyes. "Ahhh… ye witch!"

"Ha ha, ye know ye had it comin" She grinned with her hands on her hips.

"I gave ye a fair chance though, so I think since ye didna give me one I deserve somethin." He smirked.

"Like what?" She asked acting coy as she ran her hands over the water.

"Hmmm… what could I think of that would make us fair again?" He pondered with a devilish grin. She stared at him a bit concerned now knowing he was quite experience and probably had ideas of things she wasn't prepared for. He then asked in a deep whisper, "How about a kiss?"

"Jest… a kiss?" She questioned not trusting him as he approached her.

"Aye." His eyes twinkled as he leaned down and he felt her move back in distrust till he scooped her up and placed a soft, teasing, playful kiss on her lips. He then moved that kiss down her neck and she soon found herself submissive to his touch. With her eyes closed and a small moan leaving her lips he pulled away and began swimming.

"Wha… why did ye…" She asked flustered still froze in her spot.

"I'd say we're fair now." He smirked swimming away.

She smiled and began swimming after him. They remained in the water most of the day just playing around, but he was a man with a beautiful young bride, so playing turned into arousal which turned into intimacy which turned into moans and cries that echoed into the forest. As dinner time approached Merida found herself quite exhausted and yawning.

"Let's go home." He smiled helping her back into her now dried dress and placing his cape around her for added warmth.

To their surprise they arrived back to a quiet castle and as they neared their bedroom they smelled something delicious. They found a table had been set up in their room with a cooked bird, vegetables, bread, and beer along with a letter. Merida picked it up and read over it. She then smiled to herself before telling Mor'du. "Mum had it sent up and said she'd let us have some days to ourself before we're expected to make an appearance."

"Bless yer mum. Sorry I almost killed her when I was a bear." He whispered.

Merida snorted, "Aye, maybe it's not the best story to bring up again." She looked around at the food, "I'm so hungry lately. It's disgraceful."

"It's the love makin." Mor'du winked.

"Yer not a modest man are ye husband?" She teased.

"I'd say that's never been a word used for me." He chuckled taking a seat with her.

They spent the remainder of the evening eating and growing rather drunk on wine which just added to their exhaustion. They soon stumbled into bed groggy, muscles aching, and losing all ability to speak. Somehow they found each other in their stupor, tangling limbs and drifting into a deep sleep.


	12. Challenges

12\. Challenges

The couple finally made themselves known to the rest of the castle about a week after their wedding. It wasn't much of an appearance as they usually sat at the table half asleep from their previous nights activities. It was apparent to everyone that they were deeply in love and more than enjoying each other's company.

Months of bliss went by. The couple would often leave the palace together riding off on Angus. Being that it was summer they often found themselves at their spring memorizing each others every detail with feel. Merida didn't feel there could be two people more suited for each other. They both could spend all days riding through the highlands, shooting arrows, hunting, fishing, swimming and staring up at the sky until stars began to pop up. Even their arguments ended with either laughter or a frenzy of kisses. Life seemed perfect, but … that's when life presents challenges.

It was 5 months after their marriage when a letter came. Merida, Mor'du, Elinor, and baby Hendry sat around the hearth laughing at a story Mor'du was telling about Merida falling down a hill after trying to show him something. "She pointed up the hill and said it's just over there. I walked ahead of her and saw nothing. Then I heard a squeal like a wee pig. I quickly turned around to see her rolling down the hill. I went after her, slipped on the same stone, and went rolling right after her."

"That's why ye both came back covered in mud." Elinor laughed. "I'm jest glad ye didna break anything."

They then looked up seeing Fergus enter the room. Unlike the rest of the group he had a grave expression. Everyone went silent waiting, even the baby. "So…" Fergus started clearing his throat, "It looks like I'll be leavin soon to help King William. It seems that though King Richard's gone his troops are still here trying to invade our lands again."

"William has his own soldiers. Why should ye have to go?" Elinor asked infuriated.

"Because it's my duty Elinor and … it will make up for recent events." Fergus sighed.

"What events?" Merida asked.

"A certain nephew to the king returnin back from our lands with a broken nose." Fergus reminded her.

"People return back from our lands with broken noses all the time. Jest because he's the king's nephew shouldna make that different for him." Merida said crossing her arms defiantly.

"I'll go with ye." Mor'du plainly stated looking up at Fergus.

"No ye willna." Merida commanded. "We jest got married. Yer duty is to yer wife."

"Merida, I've been vary patient when it comes to yer stubborn nature, but this is not a subject I'll be arguein with ye about. I'm goin with yer father and that's the final world." He said with such dominance that Merida couldn't find the words to argue back. That and the only time she'd ever seen his eyes filled with that amount of severity was when she had question his intentions to marry her. She knew contending was futile, but that didn't stop her from being upset.

She got up from her seat and marched upstairs. Mor'du didn't go after her as she had hoped. Instead she heard him asking her father, "When do we leave?" In which Fergus responded, "Tomorrow." Merida sulked her way to her room and sat at her window, her chin pushed out, arms crossed and her temper flaring.

"Merida." Mor'du called on the other side of their bedroom door. "Ye locked the door."

"Aye. Yer right." Merida snapped.

"Open the door Merida or I'll break it down." Mor'du threatened.

"Go ahead and try." She baited. It was a metal door and a strong one at that, so she knew it wasn't possible. Then she began to hear something she didn't expect. It was keys entering the door. She looked down and saw that she still had the key. The only person with extra keys was… "Maudie!" Merida shouted.

"Shame on ye Merida. Lockin yer husband out of his room." She scolded before leaving.

Merida's mouth hung open aghast, but her feelings soon changed as her husband shut the door, walked to her and pulled her up into his arms. "I maybe gone for awhile lass and I'm not spendin my last night asleep by the fire."

"Fine, ye lay in here and I'll sleep down there." She said beginning to march off, but then she felt Mor'du gently grab her forearm. She went to twist her arm out of his grips, but as she turned she saw his eyes pleading for her.

"Please dona leave me Merida. I need ye." He whispered pulling her closer.

Her temper settled into her true feeling of anguish. "Dona leave me then." She begged feeling her bottom lip trimble. "I canna bare the thought of somethin happenin to ye. Especially after everythin we went through to get here."

"I have to Merida. It's my duty as son in law to the king. It's my honor to fight next to the man I now call father and king." He explained.

She shook her head knowing and understanding, but her heart clenched as her breath became shaky and tears spilled from her eyes. She then looked up at him with those ocean like eyes and began removing his shirt. Silently she began removing the remainder of his clothes as well as her own. Once fully exposed she grabbed his hand and pulled him to the bed.

Their bodies tangled through the night and their lovemaking was so tender compared to their usual wild ways. He clung to her as though he were drowning and nuzzled his face into her neck. He moved within her slowly and with agonizing precision. She felt him breathing in the smell of her hair as his hands fell down her thighs and over her calves. He placed both legs around his waist and took her deep stroke after deep stroke. Her mind entered a place that was neither here nor there, but felt as though she was being carried over waves slowly being pulled under with him.

The night continued like this till they both fell asleep still joined. Though she was asleep she clung to him all night and in the morning awoke feeling his body missing from her arms. She sat straight up and frantically looked around. Then she heard horses racing off in the distance. She wrapped the blankets around herself and quickly ran to the window seeing the soldiers, her father and husband disappear over the hills. She slowly fell apart and cried the day away.

As the days went by Merida always had one question for her mother every morning. "Has a messenger come?" She'd ask, but the answer was always, "No." She knew Mor'du couldn't write, but she at least hoped her father would send a letter to her mother letting them know that they were alive. Not knowing if her husband was dead or alive was making her stomach turn and she found that all she wanted to do was lay in bed, sleeping.

Days turned into weeks and Merida often found herself crying at the table. She was not someone that just cried out of no where, especially in front of her family, but it just seemed to overtake her. Her mother and four brothers (even the baby), would stare at her shocked and Elinor would do her best to sooth her daughter. "Yer father would be away for months when we were younger. Once he was even gone for almost a year, but he always came back." Merida would just gaze up at her with watery eyes and return back to her unconsolable whimpers.

A month came and went. Merida was sure she would perish from her anguish. Then one cold December morning she heard the sound of horses galloping closer to the castle. Her heart pounded not knowing it was invaders ready to take the castle after a defeat or if it was Her father and his army returning. She rolled out of bed and rushed to the window. From a distance she couldn't see much, but as they moved in she recognized the flags with symbols of swords surrounds by a circle of knots. It was her clan returning.

Her legs took off before she could even comprehend what was happening. She went on a mad dash down the stairs, past the guards, flinging open the doors and running towards the group. As she came closer to the horses she began looking around frantically for her husband. Sure enough he was towards the back, laughing with her father about who knows what, and hadn't taken notice to her. Then one of the soldiers rode by Mor'du and pointed out to him what he had not seen. His laughter cut off and he too began frantically looking through the crowd of horses and easily spotted the fiery locks he could spot from even a mile away.

"Merida." He whispered jumping off his horse. She seemed froze for a moment as he quickly made his way towards her, but finally believing what she was seeing she ran to him, leaping into his arms, knocking him to the snowy ground, and began wildly planting kisses all over his face. His eyes rolled from the pure sensation of holding her to him again. He ran his hands through her hair and down her back feeling those curves he'd missed for so many nights.

"I dona think she missed ye." King Fergus chuckled passing them on his horse.

After he passed and they felt there was a good distance between them and the group Mor'du became a little bolder. He let his hands drift down cupping her bottom and pulling her closely to his arousal he whispered in her ear, "We have some time to make up for."

That voice, that deep warm voice did things to her, and she felt she would lose herself in his arms just from his whisper. "Let's hurry back." She moaned.

As soon as they made it up to their room both stripped their clothing and wasted no time making up for all those nights spent away from each other. There was no words and no thoughts. Everything was pure reaction to all that they had pint up and after thoroughly giving into their needs many time they fell into a deep sleep in each others arms.

The next morning Merida awoke smelling something… unpleasant. She turned over in bed and realized it was her husband. "Ye smell." She said leaning over him with her nose scrunched up.

"Those are jest the words I was hopin to hear awaken me." He grumbled.

"But ye really smell. I canna believe I didna smell ye last night." She said now holding her nose and placing on her robes. "I'm goin to fetch a maid to prepare a bath for ye."

"All I really want is to jest sleep Merida." He mumbled falling back to sleep.

She shook her head. "I'll be back for ye."

She then had Fiona help her prepare a bath in the large wooden tub her father often used. She knew a simple scrub down wouldn't suffice. They boiled the water and prepared a nice soapy bath in the room next to the kitchen. She then went upstairs and began rolling her husband out of bed. He was, of course, reluctant and growled, "Leave me be woman. I jest want to…" and then he fell back to sleep.

"No. I refuse to be near ye when ye smell like … THIS." She argued back.

With a grumble and half open eyes he let Merida drag him down to the bathing room, strip him of his clothes, help him into the bath, and scrub him down. She felt guilty as he again fell asleep while she scrubbed his back. She realized that he had been battling off invaders and bathing was probably at the bottom of his list of priorities. She let him sleep while he soaked until the water began to grow cold. She then nudged him awake.

He rolled his eyes at her as she helped him stand and dressed him in a clean set of clothing. Seeing that he was truly exhausted she brought him back to their room, helped him back into bed, and laid down next to him… or at least tried to. Now that she didn't feel as though she was ready to vomit from the smell of him she now felt extremely hungry. She tried her best to stay next to him, her heart told her she never wanted to leave his side again, but her stomach argued differently. She found herself again going back down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"What is it this time?" Maudie asked.

"I'm jest so hungry." Merida answers looking around for something to eat.

Maudie stirred some stew into a bowl and sighed, "Ye sure have been eating a lot lately." Then she froze and slowly turned giving Merida a strange look. "and sleepin plenty."

"What of it?" Merida questioned with her mouth full as she shoveled the stew past her lips.

"When was the last time ye had yer monthly course?" Maudie asked with her hand on her hip.

"Maudie, really? Why is that…" Merida fell silent as her spoon fell from her hand. "Ye dona think I… ye mean ye think …."

"Have ye been sick in the mornin?" Maudie questioned.

"Umm… no, but I almost was this morning, but that's because my husband smelled so badly." Merida explained.

Maudi huffed a laugh and then left the room. Merida thought it was strange until Maudie returned with Queen Elinor. Elinor looked at Merida with a goofy grin and looked her over. Merida trying to deny Maudie's revelation continued to stuff her face with a second bowl of stew. "I was beginin to wonder when yed get careless."

Merida's mouth fell open in shock to her mother's words. "I dona know what yer talkin about."

"Aye. Ye do." Elinor smiled. "Yer pregnant."

Merida frowned and shook her head. "But I canna be. I've used all ye taught me and I've been so careful except…" Then it hit her. "Except for the night before he left for battle. Oh no," she gulped, "I can na be."

"Ye are though and yer jest goin to have to accept it." Elinor said hugging Merida who was on the verge of tears. "That's why yev been so emotional lately and hungry …. and sleepin all the time. I thought it was jest heartache." Elinor giggled. "I should have known better."

"No this canna be." Merida's eyes grew watery. "I'll be a horrible mum." Merida sniffled.

"No." Elinor said running her hands through her daughters hair. "Yell be wonderful and I'll be here to help ye. That's more than I ever had. Yer father and I had to learn as we went along and ye and Dùghall will as well. Ye should probably let him know soon."

"Let me know what?" A groggy voice asked from behind them.

Mor'du walked in confused as the three women stared at him. Elinor grabbed Maudie and they soon left. Merida looked down as he approached her, ready to burst into tears again, and looking as though someone had died. "What's wrong mo gradh?" He asked wrapping his arm around her and pulling her chin up so that she would look him in the eyes.

"I'm pregnant." She cried burying her face into his shirt and soaking it with her sobs.

He knew he heard what he heard, but it didn't seem real. They'd been so careful, except for the night he had to leave for battle and there was no denying that it was very possible for her to get pregnant from that night. A smile began to stretch across his face and he felt he was in a haze of pure delight. He pulled Merida away from his shirt and searched her eyes seeing that she was indeed telling the truth and she was indeed not at all joyous about it. He knew he could convince her otherwise as he pulled her in for a deep kiss.

She pulled away looking at him puzzled. "Yer not… upset?"

"Why would I be upset? This tis the best day… ummm second best day, of my life."

"Second best?" She questioned wiping her eyes.

"Our wedding night is the first." He grinned running his hands over her cheeks.

"But we're both too… wild to be parents. We run off emotions without thinkin. We arena suited to bein parents." She argued.

"Is anyone?" He chuckled.

"My mum was. She's perfect. I'm so careless. I'll probably put the baby down and forget where I laid it." She sulked.

"That's why babies are born cryin and if our child is anythin like I was as a bairn yell hear it from from over the mountains." He joked.

"Oh great." She said sarcastically.

Before another word of pity could escape her mouth Mor'du kneeled before her and pulled her stomach to his lips. After tenderly kissing her stomach he looked up at her smiling. His smile was full of so much splendor that Merida couldn't help, but feel slightly pleased herself and smiled back. "Thank ye Merida. Yev made me a different man… a better man. Now yer makin me a father. I have no way of repayin ye, but to promise I'll always make sure ye and our bairn our safe. I can always give ye my strength if nothing else."

"and yer love." She reminded him as she leaned down and kissed the top of his head.


	13. Pregnancy

13\. Pregnancy

For some pregnancy is a joyous occasion. They feel as though they were being honored with the ability to carry life. You're told it's a beautiful feeling and even Merida was fooled into believing it wouldn't be that much different than everyday life. Now in her third trimester she was sure the only reason women kept having babies was because the truth was kept secret. She was miserable.

The first three months were a little back and forth emotionally. She was extremely tired, unnaturally so. Mor'du would try to nudge her awake in the morning and she would just push him away. When she was awake she felt bothered by everything. Her sense of smell was heightened as well as her taste, and though she didn't have the sickness that many women had with pregnancy she still felt upset to her stomach some of the time. She watched as she slowly started to develope a tiny bump below her belly button. She was beginning to look at herself differently. Mor'du even looked at her differently. He didn't seem to love her more or less, but he looked at her as though she were a saint on a holy quest.

She was just glad Mor'du only looked at her differently. It didn't seem to stop him from wanting her which she was surprised by. She'd heard that men often avoided women while they were with child. Mor'du seemed to want her all the more, but she found herself too tired most of the time. She felt that sleep and her bed were her only solace. Her father, who had always treated her like one of the boys, was now very awkward around her and avoided her. Her brother's acted as though she was a diseased monster and her mother seemed to constantly hover, offering her unsolicited advice.

Then at about five months it was becoming more apparent to just how pregnant she was. She stood in front of the mirror and had mixed feelings looking at her body. She was happy that she did finally look pregnant and not just fat, but she also came to the realization that she was still growing. She stuck out her lip and pouted.

"What's this look for?" Mor'du asked wrapping her arms around his lovely naked wife standing in front of the mirror.

"I'm growin into this beast." She sighed.

"Maybe yer turnin into a bear." He teased.

That may have been the worst thing he could have said because that night she dreamed that she was in labor. When she was handed her baby she expected to look down and see a beautiful baby. Instead she looked down and saw a bear cub. She sat up in her sleep screaming, "That's not my baby!" She flailed about until she felt hands on her arms. As she opened her eyes she found herself looking into her husband's confused eyes.

"Merida … are ye alright?" He asked in a hushed whisper.

"No!" She said practically yelling, but then she began to wake and knew her dream didn't need to be shared with the rest of the castle. She whispered back, "I had this dream that I gave birth to … a bear cub."

She expected him to laugh. She wanted him to laugh, but he too looked frightened by the idea. He didn't say anything, but his face showed it all. The idea had never occurred to him and now worry set into his mind as well. "I'm sure we'll have a bonnie bairn." He said trying to sound confident.

Night after night the same dreamed reoccured. She was sure she was pregnant with a bear cub and it made her fragile emotional state all the worse. One day her mother pulled out a group of little gowns Hendry wore as a small baby and gave them to Merida. As she looked down at them all she could see was a small bear wearing a gown. She began sniffling and then she put them down.

"What tis wrong with them?" Elinor asked.

"They're wonderful mum." She wept quietly.

Elinor sat beside her, "Then what could be upsettin ye so?"

"I jest … keep havin these dreams that I give birth to…" She paused to think of something that wouldn't be too leading. The last thing her family needed to know was that she was impregnated by a 400 some year old man that had been living most his life as a bear… a bear that was her father's mortal enemy, "umm… a demon." Well it was close enough in her father's mind at least.

Elinor laugh, "Oh every woman has these dreams. It tis a good sign. It means yell be a good mum."

"How so?" Merida asked wiping her eyes.

"Well… it means ye care about yer wee bairn already. Yer worried about it." Elinor explained, but Merida still looked at her confused. "Ye know when I was pregnant with ye I had all sorts of dreams. One of the more humorous dreams I had was that ye were born this tiny little doll. When they handed ye to me I couldna believe it and in then in the dream yer da said somethin that was so … Fergus that I almost believe the dream to be real."

"What did he say?" Merida asked curiously.

"He said, 'Ye gained all that weight for that?" Elinor laughed. "I laugh now, but at the time I was so worried I'd give birth to a doll and I did in a way. Ye were jest bonnie. Now yer brother's, ha, they could have been mistaken as a nightmare after birth."

"Why's that?" Merida questioned.

"Because I was in labor with them for two days. Pushin one out is hard enough, but three… I was sure I'd be turned inside out and yer poor brothers… oh they were so beatin lookin. Wee ugly things." Elinor shook her head remembering. "Nothin like ye and Hendry."

"I never thought of that." Merida said growing pale.

"What tis that dear?" Elinor asked.

"Ye dona think I'll give birth to more than one do ye?" She gulped.

Elinor shook her head. "No. By the time I was 5 months pregnant I could hardly make it out of bed with the triplets. Yer still runnin around, but … that will end soon."

"I'm na goin to stay confined to my room mum. I know it's the proper thing to do toward the end, but I'm just not made that way." Merida explained.

"Maybe not here," Her mother pointed to her head, "Or here," She said pointing to her heart, "but yer body will have other ideas."

Merida sulked the rest of the morning away. She sat at her window looking out at the April sky, so blue. She hadn't seen it that blue in weeks. It had been raining non-stop and she found herself unable to take it any longer. She needed fresh air. Just as she snuck down the stairs and out the door to make a quick escape, a set of two large arms snatched her up. She felt them pulling her close just above her pregnant belly and her back came to a sturdy form.

"Where do ye think yer off too Mo bhilis?" said a deep voice leaning down to her ear.

That was the same voice that got her into this predicament she now found herself in and as she turned she found Mor'du's lips had already began to devour her jawline and neck. She pushed him back, despite being completely aroused, and finally answered, "I'm goin on a ride and no ones goin to stop me."

"I willna stop ye, but I will join ye." He smiled.

"Yer not against the idea of me riding like this?" Merida asked. "Everyone else seems to think I'll hurt our bairn."

"No, yell be fine. Women from my time use to ride a horse all the way till the end. I even remember some riding into battle with their big round stomachs." He chuckled.

She seemed a little shock. "No. That canna be true."

"Tis."

"My big round stomach is growin so huge. Do ye find me repulsive?" She questioned feeling a moment of self consciousness.

"Na at all. Yer even more like a goddess lately. A fertility goddess with the round stomach and full breast." He said looking suggestively at her bosom.

"That's true. My breast do look rather nice right now." She smirked looking down at her new development.

"Let's get out of here, so that I can enjoy them elsewhere." He smiled leading her away.

Despite his previous lack of concern on the subject of her riding a horse in her condition his actions spoke differently as they situated themselves on Angus. It was like the night after their wedding and she again found her bottom resting on his legs rather than the saddle. "That canna be comfortable for ye Mor'du. I weigh a little more than I did the last time we rode like this."

"Aye, but I'm not havin it any other way, so jest stop worrin about me." He said kissing her cheek and coxing Angus to ride on.

They rode for awhile and Merida was surprised Mor'du didn't lead Angus into the direction of their spring. Instead, he lead him on a path that was familiar to Merida, yet lost in her memory. They rode up a cliff unti they came to a pile of stones near the sea. Mor'du gently lowered Merida too the ground and then jumped off himself. Merida looking around now realized where they were.

"This was once yer home." She whispered more to herself.

"Aye." He said kicking at a loose rock. "Tis. I'm sure ye were hopin for better surroundins."

"No. It tis a beautiful view of the sea." She said looking out over the cliff with her cloak gathered around her.

Mor'du took her in for a moment. She was truly the most beautiful women he'd ever seen. Her long red curls flickered in the wind contrasting with the ocean blue water that matched her eyes, her pale pink skin could be compared to that of the the sheen on a pearl, and freckles were like little sparkles of sand. Now that she carried his child she just looked unnaturally beautiful.

"Dona go findin yer skin and swimmin off." He muttered.

"What do ye mean by that?" She questioned.

"Ye havena heard the tales of the selkies?" He questioned.

"No." She admitted.

"Come sit." He said sitting off to the side of the rocks on some grassy cushioned ground. He then pulled Merida into his arms and sat her between his legs. He was silent for a moment as his arms wrapped around her and rubbed her belly. He then took a deep breath and started his tale. "So.. once there was a young prince that came into power. Now that he was a king it was expected of him have a queen, so he traveled all of Scotland and Ireland trying to find his bride. Though he met many beauties he felt in his heart he wanted more. He wanted a woman that had seen worlds beyond his and was as wild as the seas. His wish came true one evenin when he found himself sittin in this exact spot. He heard something splashin around below and looked down to see a seal washin up on the shore. With only the stars as his light he couldna believe what he saw next. Slowly the skin of the seal fell off to reveal a beautiful woman with black silken hair and eyes as dark as the night skies above. He crawled down to the shore and approached the naked lass. She saw him approach and went after her seal skin, but he grabbed it before she could get to it. He then took off his cloak and said, 'Let this be yer new skin and let me be yer new life.' He placed the cloak around her and took her back to the castle. They married and lived many happy years together, but she missed the sea. Her seal skin was her strength and without it she grew quite weak. After givin him many sons her body finally had enough. When she died the king laid her body in a boat, with the seal skin he'd hid from her over the years and sent her back to sea. He and his sons watched as the boat moved into the distance. As it began to disappear from their vision they saw a group of seals begin to circle the boat and then it was gone."

Merida gazed at the sea playing the story in her head as a tear drifted down her cheek, "Such a sad story. Where did ye hear it?"

"Twas the story of my father and mother." He said with a distant sadness in his eyes.

Merida turned looking at him shocked. "Is it true? Was she a ummm…"

"Selkie," He finished for her and shrugged his shoulders. "I dona know if the origins are true, but her growin ill and how we sent her body to sea is true. The part about the seals comin is also true. I remember it better than I do most things from that time. I was vary close to mum. She was lovely and magical."

"What was her name?" Merida asked.

"Moira." He said in a whisper as though just saying her name was more than he could handle.

"Moira." Merida repeated. "Tis a beautiful name."

Then both her and Mor'du felt the baby kick. He chuckled and rubbed Merida's belly. "So ye like it too. Maybe ye met her between worlds my wee one."

Merida leaned back into her husband's chest with a blissful sigh and looked up at him wondering what features of his the baby would have. She tried to imagine those features mixed with her own on a baby boy or girl. She knew regardless of what they had it was going to be a beautiful child, their child.

After sitting another hour quietly gazing out at the ocean Mor'du decided he had enough just staring at his pretty wife and stood lifting her in his arms. "What are ye doin?" She giggled.

"I'm tired of lookin around at was once my home. I'd like to go back to my new home and enjoy my wife." He smiled carefully lifting her to Angus and then jumping on himself.

"I thought ye wanted to enjoy me here?" She questioned.

"I've become accustomed to havin ye in our bed." He admitted with a wink.

That night he certainly enjoyed her and she found a new urge taking over. She'd craved her husband touch before and love making had always been beyond anything she expected, but usually it started off with him approaching her. Now it was all she could think about in her 6th and 7th month. She now understood that hungry look he gave her sometimes and the first time she gave him that look she was sure he would fall into laughter. Instead he simply arched a brow at first perplex, but once he caught on, a smirk stretched across his face and he complied to Merida's desires.

Not only did she have have strong urges with intimacy, but she also found herself feeling a new sort of energy closer to the end of 7th month. Nothing seemed right and she felt she was the only one that could fix things. The room looked dirty and no one could clean it right, but her. She got a bucket of water and went into a strange meditative obsession of cleaning. The blankets for the baby didn't seem soft enough. She washed them and dried them in the sun until they (in her mind) were perfect. Never before had she had interest in sewing, yet now she found herself wanting to make little gowns and bonnets. The room arrangement seemed off and when she tried to rearrange it Mor'du had walked in looking as though he'd hit the ceiling. He grabbed her just as she was preparing to move the bed and took over. Though her antics seemed mad to him he learned to go along with them. Elinor said the behavior was rather normal for first time moms. There were many times he had to secretly go to Elinor about Merida's behavior.

Then eight months hit and the fatigue returned. Unimaginable fatigue were she was sure if she closed her eyes she wouldn't wake again until the baby was born. Her hunger was torturous. She was hungry all the time, but every time she ate she'd feel acid in her throat. At night she was sure she'd choke on her own stomach acid, so she had to lay propped up. All her lusty feelings were gone. She felt bloated, suffocated by the weight of her stomach, and the difference between her ankles and calves seemed to disappear.

She felt regrets about being excited about having large breast for a change. Now they were just ridiculous and her nipples looked dark. Not only did they look different, but they felt heavy and sore. She cringed as she thought of how sore they'd feel with her baby clamped onto them.

The worse of it all was the kicking she anticipated for in previous months was now something that made her twist in pain. She could feel feet kicking her ribs, elbows pushing at her back and a head bouncing on her hips. She'd stretch her back trying to get comfortable, trying to suffice to the babies want for more room, but it was never enough. She was incredibly tired yet she couldn't sleep and no one seemed empathise with her. Her mother just chuckled at her complaints, her father just shrugged, her brother just looked at her as though she were the most hideous creature around (except for Hendry who just looked at her breast like a meal), and Mor'du looked at her helplessly. She was growing quite annoyed with everyone.

At nine months she was done. She wanted this baby out of her and it seemed everyone else did as well because all she heard was, "Yer goin to have that bairn soon enough." She was getting sick of it. She was sure she would be pregnant, huge and miserable forever. She couldn't sit or lay without feeling uncomfortable, yet she was too tired to stand. Mor'du would try his best to help her by rubbing her back and allowing her to use him as a leg rest while trying to find sleep, but he knew the only thing that would truly help her was to have the baby.

He'd never tell her, but he was growing concerned over the size of her stomach. He worried for her wife life. She was average frame, but she looked like she was pregnant with an above average child. Fears of losing her during childbirth plagued his thoughts, but seeing that her mother had given birth to four children, three of those in one go, offered some hope that Merida had inherited that same ability.

Fergus saw the look in his son-in-law's eyes that was all too familiar to his own during the end of his wife's pregnancy. Mor'du needed distraction, so Fergus decided to have a hunting party. Mor'du was reluctant, but Fergus seemed persistent, so he eventually agreed.

"Tis so close to Merida's time Fergus." Elinor pointed out. "Is this really the best time to be leavin for a huntin party?"

"Aye. That lad may not say it, but he's torn up with worry about Merida's condition. He needs time away from the castle and it will only be a day."

With that Elinor agreed and the men set off. Merida watched sulking from her window as all the men disappeared over the hills and into the woods. She would have given anything to go with them, but it just wasn't possible for her to go anywhere. She had a hard enough time just walking up the stairs. She opened the window and took out her bow and arrow. If she couldn't go hunting she could at least make target practice out of the bridge. She pulled her arm back and let let go of the arrow, it was a miss as it went into the water. She groaned and pulled out another. She pulled the string back and the arrow hit the target. She jumped up proud of herself, but as she did her body felt crippled with pain that stemmed from every nerve of her body. The pain quickly moved to her center and her round belly tightened. The pain was so sudden that she felt a cry leave her lips. Slowly the pain eased away and she knew she had to find help immediately.

Meanwhile…

Mor'du felt apprehensive leaving for the hunt, but he could tell Merida was becoming overwhelmed by his constant hovering, so he agreed to leave with Fergus. Though Fergus was a man of few words Mor'du greatly respected him. He was a simple man who believed in honor above all. Like Merida, Fergus was sometimes easily side tracked and sometimes his temper took over his thinking, but Mor'du like the fact that he wasn't complicated to read. In fact to him Fergus was what a king should be. He loved his clan and always took great pride in defending his people. Mor'du shook his head ashamed at what he once thought a great king was.

The hunting party set up camp that night and as Mor'du looked into the fire he could only think of one thing, Merida. 'I shouldna have left,' He repeated over and over again in his mind. Dark scenarios played out of her dying from labor complication while he was gone. He tried to find happier thoughts, those of the times they'd spent together, and he finally found peace as his mind went to their spring. He sighed as a faint smile stretched over his face and slowly he found sleep.

The hunting party woke early the next morning and headed into the woods. It was a warm late July day. Perfect for finding frolicing deer, so they all felt hopeful. The triplets headed one direction while Fergus and Mor'du headed into another direction. They walked slowly into the dark forest where a stream ran calmly over pebbles. There they saw a doe drinking from the stream. Fergus gestured for Mor'du to take his shot and as Mor'du pulled back the string of his bow he froze. A small fawn approached the doe from behind a tree and joined its mother by the stream. Typically he wouldn't have had an issue with taking down both dears, but then a buck appeared and he felt that this was a sign. It was a mother, father and new baby. He felt he would curse his own family if he shot his arrow. He lowered his bow and shook his head no.

"I… have to go." Mor'du whispered to Fergus and fled.

Fergus stared at him confused. "What are ye.." but before he could finish Mor'du was gone. He headed back to camp, found Angus and raced back to the castle. He jumped off Angus as soon as he arrived and ran into the castle looking around. It was so quiet that he could only hear the birds outside the windows. He walked around looking for his wife, a maid, anyone, but all he could find was the guards. Then he heard her scream from upstairs, and not just any scream, but one of extreme pain. He ran up the stairs and tried to figure out what room they had her in. He heard a grunt and a growl coming from a room that they used for guest they didn't really like. It was the first room he stayed in his night at the castle.

He quickly ran to the room and burst through the door. There he saw Elinor at the head of a bed and Maudie between a set of legs. His wifes legs. Merida looked up at him with a fierce scowl and screamed, "Get out!"

He refused to listen or leave the room. He did however find himself having enough of the view below. He'd seen some gruesome things on the battlefield, but nothing like childbirth, so he moved next to her side. He placed his hands on her cheek and as calmly as possible said, "I'm here for ye."

"Dona touch me right now!" She seethed through her teeth. Her face was red, her eyes closed tightly shut and she looked like she could bite through leather. Though she didn't want anyone touching her she sure felt a need to grab at him. Her grip on his arm would leave a bruise the next day, that he was sure of. Her pain was more than evident and as Maudie told her to push Mor'du made the mistake of looking to see the baby emerge.

"Dona look!" Merida screamed at him, but it was too late. He watched as slowly the baby pushed it's head through and as horrific as it looked he couldn't look away. It was his child after all. After a few last pushes the baby was all the way out. Maudie cut off the cord and quickly wrapped it while another maid tended to Merida. Though the anticipation was killing Mor'du he returned to his wife's side, kissing and comforting her. After cleaning the baby off and re-wrapping it in a fresh blanket Maudie finally laid the baby in Merida's arms.

"Tis a girl. A big beautiful girl." She smiled kissing Merida on the cheek.

"Oh my, she's jest perfect!" Elinor said in awe looking down at the chubby little bundle.

Merida and Mor'du looked down at their daughter. She was perfect. She was all fluffy and pink. It was now apparent to Merida why she'd gotten so large. The baby was as big as Hendry was at two weeks. Though her skin looked quite fair it was apparent that she'd have dark hair like Mor'du. Her eyes were closed, but her little mouth searched around.

"She's hungry already." Elinor pointed out.

"Oh." Merida blushed as her mother situated the baby to Merida's breast. She gasped as the baby suctioned to her and her face scrunched up in pain.

"Dona worry. Yell toughen up in a few days." Elinor advised.

After awhile the room cleared out and Mor'du and Merida found themselves staring at their new bundle. Mor'du took his daughter into his arms and studied her features. She had Merida's little pointed nose, her stubborn chin, pale pink skin and he suspected, looking at the little s shapes her hair laid in, that she also would have her curls. From him she got his dark hair, thick lashes, and his full lips. He pulled her up smelling that new baby smell and ran his fingers over her soft cheeks.

"She's the bonniest bairn I've ever seen." He said smiling at Merida. "Ye did wonderfully. What shall we name her?"

"Moira." Merida muttered looking at her beautiful baby in her husbands arms.

"Moira." He whispered handing the sleeping baby back to his wife's arms.


	14. Court

Chapter 14. Court

3 years later….

Once every season was the court before the king. It was a day that Fergus dreaded as he'd hear different petty cases and would have to come up with a fair ruling. Elinor often leaned towards him, offering a settle hint on what he should do when he struggled, or just hadn't listened, and let him go from there. For years it had just been him and Elinor, but now that Merida was a grown married woman she too now joined in that dreaded day. Merida, Mordu, Elinor, and Fergus sat listening to the two gentlemen arguing away with each other over a colt and after half an hour of the men yelling they had finally gathered enough information to make sense of things.

"That tis a lie! Ye made a trade with me. I gave ye some of my land in exchange for a colt bred by my stag! That colt is mine." They gray haired man argued.

The younger one shook his head, "No! No! It twas never agreed upon. Yer stag jumped the fence and bred with my mare. That colt is certainly na yers!"

Fergus rolled his eyes and with a sigh asked, "So did he end up taking the land?"

"Aye!" Said the gray haired man.

"No I didna." Grumbled the younger man.

"Are there any witnesses?" Mumbled Fergus.

"Aye. My neighbor. Aidan." The older man looked around the crowd. "Aidan! Get up here!"

A large bearded man stepped forward. His stoic face looked completely unable to tell a lie, so they hoped he would enlighten them.

"So… what can ye tell us Aidan?" Fergus asked.

"Yer highness, I was there the day the deal was made. Dermid did indeed give part of his land to Ranulf." Aidan said in a dull tone.

"If that's the case, the horse goes to Dermid and Ranulf keeps the land." Fergus yawned waving them off.

They had a small break before the next hearing and Merida knew how she'd use it. She snuck over to the dining room where her triplet brothers were busy chasing after Moira and Hendry. In a room full of reddish curls Moira's stood out being almost black. She was just starting to lose some of her baby fat and appeared tall for her age. She chased after poor Hendry who clung to a little wooden bear as he ran away from her crying.

"Now what's goin on here?" Merida asked playfully scolding.

"Moira's tryin to take my bear!" Hendry cried.

"Where's yer bear?" Merida asked.

Moira shrugged.

"Shall we see if we can find him?"

Moira shook her head. They traveled around the castle looking around every corner for her stuff bear. Then Mor'du approached. He looked at them curiously as they seemed to be searching for something. "What have we lost?" He asked.

"Her bear." Merida explained.

"Ye mean this bear?" He asked pulling it out from under his cloak.

"Why did ye have this?" Merida asked grabbing the bear from Mor'du and placing it in Moira's hands.

"I gave it to da." Moira giggled and held her hands out for Mor'du.

"She stuck him in my belt before we went into the throne room. Didna ken it was there until about the third hearing." He chuckled kissing the top of Moira's brown curls. Her navy eyes sparkled as he took her into his arms and tickled her belly.

"Why did ye do that Moira?" Merida asked.

"Da was lonely. He said he missed his cub." Moira explained.

"I think he was talkin about ye. Na yer bear." Merida giggled pinching her nose.

"Aye, but we'll go out for a ride on Angus after all this mess." Mor'du said bouncing the child in his arms. "I believe yer mum and I are needed back in the throne room."

"Aye." Merida grumbled stretching her back knowing she'd be stuck sitting on her throne for another good hour. "Now no more torturin yer uncle. Leave him and his bear alone now that ye got yer own."

With hesitant sighs they brought her back to the dining room handing her off to Hamish. They then dragged themselves back to the throne room and slumped in their thrones next to a half asleep Fergus and Elinor. Fergus gestured for the next person to step forward. The guards then summoned a man dragging a young woman. It looked like a father and daughter. The girl was trembling in fear, tears streaming down her face and Fergus assumed it was probably another case where the father found the daughter with a lover.

"Go on." Fergus mumbled.

"Yer Highness, my wife has been making deals with the devil as of recently." He hissed looking at the girl and throwing her down in front of them. The girl crumbled to the floor crying.

"Yer wife?" Merida asked what everyone was thinking. The man looked well into his 50s and the girl didn't look much older than Merida.

"Aye! My wife of eight years and na a child between us. I soon found out why!" He shouted in anger.

Merida quickly thought it over. If the girl was her age and she'd been married to that man for eight years she would have been no more than 15 or 16 when she was married off to this the old ugly man. Merida's heart felt for her and she squeezed Mor'du's hand trying to draw his strength to steady her temper. Mor'du looked over to his wife and placed his other hand on hers trying to sooth her.

"Well…." Elinor prompted the man to continue with a cynical tone.

"She got these potions from this witch out in the woods. It stopped her monthly course! Then she became pregnant and was two months along. I found her out in the woods… bleedin out my child!" He said turning red and pacing around her.

"Is this true?" Fergus asked. Abortion was unacceptable in their society regardless of the circumstances though... Fergus could see why she did what she did. The man was obviously not the ideal husband for this poor lass. Unfortunately many parents used their daughters in trade and she was more than likely married against her will.

She sniffled and whispered, "Aye."

Mor'du could see there was more going on then what was said. Even in his prior life he couldn't stand the mistreatment of women and if one of his soldier ever laid a hand on a woman against their will it was grounds for immediate execution. As the girl leaned before them, crying into the stone floor and her hair slipping over her shoulder Mor'du caught something.

"Yer highness, would ye allow me to look at this lass?" Mor'du asked.

Fergus arched a brow at Mor'du curiously. "Aye. Go on lad. Ye can settle it as well. I hate dealin with these sort of disputes."

Mor'du stepped down and stood the girl to her feet. She was a small thing, smaller than Merida, pretty, but she had an unnatural age to her face as though she'd experienced more than her years could handle. She shook as Mor'du tried to make eye contact with her. When he finally did he could see an absolute terror in her eyes. "Lass I'm on yer side. Dona fear me." Mor'du whispered.

"What are ye doin?" Asked the girl husband as Mor'du grabbed her by her shoulder and turned her back to him.

"I'm presenting a new idea. Ye see I dona think she murdered yer child." Mor'du said looking at the man with narrowed eyes.

"Ye dona know what yer talkin about! She committed an unforgivable sin! She's goin to hell and I want that witch burnt." He shouted and tried to get the crowd to join in with him, but they seemed to be anticipating what Mor'du was ready to prove.

"I believe this poor lass has been in hell already. She's livin it and I'll prove it." Mor'du said grabbing the top of her dress and ripping the back open. Her back was faced towards him, Fergus, Elinor, and Merida. They all gasped, Elinor turning her head ready to be sick, Fergus growing red with rage, and Merida with her mouth open in disgust. The girl looked down and weeped. Mor'du then turned the girls back to the crowd so that they may see the pain she had suffered. Up and down her back were new and old wip marks mutilating her back. There were places where scar tissue clung to area where her ribs had been cut into by the whip. White, pink and red scars crawled up her back and down her dress. The crowd too gasped and a rumble of talk seemed to circulate amongst them. A heated tension could be felt directed at the girl's husband. Mor'du then took off his cloak and place it around the girl. "I say this girl lost her child from beatins her husband gave her and na from some potion a witch gave her. I say no witch has kept her from being with child, but that she hasna had a child all these years from bein starved and beatin."

"Tis a lie. I gave her fair warning when I found the potion!" Her husband yelled, "But she kept goin back to that witch. I believe that witch placed a demon in her. If yer not goin to serve justice to my wife then serve it to the witch."

Mor'du remembering his promise, No witch would be hurt in these lands, especially not one with empathy towards this girl. He shook his head. "No. If this girl got help from someone yer callin a witch, well bless them for takin pity on this unfortunate. If ye want justice then I'll give ye justice. My final words on this are that this man be removed from this village. Yell be given enough to let ye survive on yer own and without a wife takin care of ye. Maybe yell understand her worth then. The lass shall remain here in the castle and be given a decent position."

"She shall be my ladies maid." Merida added.

Mor'du nodded in appreciation to Merida and turned back to the man, "and if ye ever come back into this village well make sure ye can never pass on yer seed to anyone."

"What!" The man shouted. "What sort of ruling is this? Yer highness!"

"Take him away." Grumbled Fergus to his guards. "and that's the last case I want to hear for the day."

The guards dragged the man off and Merida went down to the girl offering her words of comfort. As she walked the girl to the kitchen to be treated for her wounds she took a quick look back at Mor'du. He was raging with anger as he paced around. More than anything he wanted to rip out that man's throat, but then he saw his wife's eyes. She smiled sweetly at him and her eyes had a sort of adoration he'd never seen before. It calmed his rage.

Merida took the girl into the kitchen and sat her down at the table before pulling Maudie aside to explain the girls story. Maudie shook her head horrified at what the girl had to endure. With a deep breath and a strong stomach she and Merida went back into the kitchen.

"Alright. Let's see what we're dealin with." She said pulling up her sleeves. "What's yer name my dear?"

"Sorcha." She replied meekly.

"What a lovely name and how old are ye Sorcha?" She asked.

"21." She replied.

Merida sat across her confused. "I thought you were older… I mean, yev been with that man for 8 years?"

"I've been with that man since I was 13." She explained sniffling and looking dazed.

"Well yell never have to see him again." Maudie assured her and looked at Merida in a way that said, 'No more questioning'. She then took off Mor'du's cloak and bit her lip to keep from gasping at the torn flesh. She gulped and said in a choked voice, "Merida, ye should take this and get it washed. Send in Fiona."

"Alright." Merida said trying hard not to gag. The wound was like nothing she'd ever seen and she couldn't believe the girl had survived. Now looking at the girls back this close she believed her husband to have been too lenient with the man. She quickly found Fiona, giving her a fair warning and then sent her in. After, she moped into the washing room and left Mor'du's cloak with one of the the maids. "Should have jest cut his manhood myself." She grumbled to herself walking towards the stairs..

"Who's that Mo bhilis?" Mor'du asked behind her running a finger through one of her curls.

She turned and huffed. "That man! He deserved to die."

Mor'du shook his head. "This is true, but he doesna seem the type to survive on his own, so I do na think he'll last long in nature."

"Aye, but I would have loved to see him bleed like she did." Merida seethed.

"It was my initial thought too, to have him whipped right there, but I've learned that spilling blood isna always the best way to serve up a punishment." He stood in front of her and placed his hand on her chin bringing her bitter eyes to his calm gaze. "If I show myself as a man that uses cruel punishment as a way of ruling the villagers will turn on me. It's happened before. My whole army turned on me once because of my brutal ways, so … I do as yer father does and choose my battles wisely."

Merida shook her head. "Yer a good man ye ken and yer a good da," Then she leaned up next to his ear and whispered, "and a good lover."

He groaned and pulled her up in his arms. "These are all vary true and I'd like to prove that last one to ye."

"I'd like that." She smiled wrapping her arms around his neck. "We can leave Moira with my brothers a wee bit longer."

"Aye. Maybe just an hour or two." He said walking with her in his arms up the stairs.

"An hour or two? Hmmm… I'll hold ye to that." She teased.

"I do na disappoint." He chuckled entering their bedroom.


	15. Epilogue

Epilogue

Seven years later…

10 year old Moira wandered around the cliffs in the distance as her parents looked on. The ruins were a place they frequented often, though she never knew the true significance of them. To her, her father was only a descendent of what was once here. She had been told stories of the dreadful bear Mor'du not knowing that he was in actuality her father Dùghall.

Then there were the stories of willo-the-wisp and her mother turning her grandmother into a bear. She was never really sure if any of it was true or just ways of passing on lessons learned. As she looked out onto the ocean waters, her parents walking off to talk alone, she remembered stories her father had once told her about the selkies. Then she saw a group of seals in the distance popping their heads out of the water peaking at her.

"Look!" She shouted to her younger brother, young Dùghall (who they just called Dùg) and sister Fergie (named after her dear departed Grandfather).

"What!" Shouted Dùg as his head of brown curls shook out the sand he had been laying on.

"Look out on the ocean ye eejit!" Moira yelled back.

He and Fergie both stood looking out at the ocean seeing the seals. Their mouth's dropped open and they went running up the cliff towards Moira for a better look. For all three this was their first time seeing the seals their father had told them off. Up till now they believed them to be as mythical as selkies or wisp. They continued to stare out at the seals until they disappeared into the distance. They then ran over to their mother and father.

"Mum! Mum!" Dùg shouted.

"What tis it?" Merida asked turning around with her newly pregnant belly.

"We saw seals." Moira panted catching her breath.

"They were gray and funny lookin." Fergie said bouncing around with her mess of auburn curls falling in her face. Mor'du picked her up pushing back the mess of curls that seemed to have a mind of it's own, just like Merida's.

"That sounds about right." He chuckled.

"Do ye think they're selkies da?" Dùg asked.

"What do ye think?" He asked with a wink.

Dùg shrugged with a little smile. In the distance three riders approached. Dùg instantly recognized who they were and went running towards them. "It's Uncle's Hamish, Hubert, and Harris!"

The three young men appeared identical yet with their differences. Hamish had let his curls grow wild and for the most part had a scruffy face that he attempted to keep shaved. Harris on the other hand was quite the opposite with short curls, but he kept a little chin hair. Hubert, always a little more wild than his brother's, had a beard, kept his hair pulled back in what Elinor called, "wild heathen braids," and sported two knotted tattoos on his cheek bones which also left Elinor in dismay. They had been gone for a year battling off the English for King William. They jumped off their horses and walked towards Merida and Mor'du with solemn faces.

Hubert scooped Dùg into his arms and rubbed his curls into a pile of fluff. "There's a lad after my own heart."

"Did ye kill people?" Dùg asked excitedly.

"Dug!" Merida scolded.

"Tis alright." Hubert chuckled. "It come naturally to him."

"So did we take care of the invaders?" Mor'du asked.

Hamish shook his head. "Prince John is determined to take Scotland."

"What? Why?" Merida asked. "What of the treaty?"

"With King Richard gone John's greed canna seem to fill his pockets." Harris grumbled.

Merida gulped knowing why they were back, but she continued to ask. "What brings ye lads back?"

"Ye ken why." Harris replied with a seriousness in his eyes that scared Merida.

"When do ye need me to leave?" Mor'du asked. Over the years he'd been assisting Fergus and King William during the invasions. After Fergus died in battle Merida made Mor'du promise to stay at the castle to help her rule the clan. For many years he stayed by her side knowing that there would eventually be an end to their moment of peace.

"In two days time." Hamish said.

"Ye canna leave…" Merida began to say, but she cut off her words knowing this was one area of their lives she couldn't argue away. She closed her eyes finding the strength she had so many times before and nodded letting Mor'du know she was willing to accept it.

He grabbed her shoulder and kissed her forehead. "Ye know I'll return. I always do. Our story isna done yet."


End file.
